Sticks of fire
by schuyler-rose
Summary: Olivia Hobson, just new friends with Alice, Charles, Preston, Joe and Martin. She dislikes Cary with every fibre of her being, but when a train crash occurs, can they put their differances behind them and work together? Rated T for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey so this is my first ever fanfiction, and I'm basically making this because I just love Super 8 and all that shizzle. I'm from England, but I'm trying to make this sound American, aha, so I'm sorry if it kind-of fails and sounds a weeny bit brittish! Enjoy:p**

**Schuyler xx**

* * *

><p>Olivia hated being small. Being five foot 1 she thought was kinda depressing. Almost everyone towered over her, even some of the kids in the 6th grade. It never minded her often, only occasionally, but when she had to crane her neck to give her condolences to Deputy Lamb, it really pissed her off.<p>

It was the day of his wife's funeral, and even though Olivia barely knew the Lamb's, her mother had been good friends with the Deputy's wife when they were at school, so her mom dragged her along to give their _deepest sympathies_, she said. _Pfft, more like keep up appearances._

Jackson Lamb thanked Olivia and her mom before hurrying off, uncomfortable most likely. Her mom was never the subtle type, and she didn't think it was exactly appropriate when her mom went into detail that she saw the entire thing, and then brought it up to Jackson Lamb as a 'conversation starter'.

"Mom! That was harsh, he didn't need to freaking hear that!" She snapped, glaring at her mom. "Let's just get out of here." She muttered. _We'd been to the service, and we'd gone back to their home, we said we were sorry, now it's time to go,_ Olivia thought.

Her mom, irritated at her for snapping at her, glared. "Olivia May Hobson, do _not use that tone with me, missy._" She hissed. "Don't embarrass me in public." Olivia hung her head in fake shame to hide her scowl. She was never good at hiding feelings. "I'm going to mingle, you go play with the rest of the kids your age." Her mom said, pinching Olivia's arm painfully – causing the girl to wince and pull her sleeves further down her arms- and pointed to where the buffet was, where four boys in her grade were huddled.

They were friends of the deputy's son. She had never really spoke to them much, she just knew that the Charles kid was bossy as fuck, Martin had a tendency to vomit, Cary was a freaky pyro, and Preston was annoying by always stating the obvious. She sat next to him in math once, he was proper brainy. He even let her copy off him without complaining, which not many people let her do.

"I'd rather stay with you." She said timidly, hating herself. Why spend any more time with the monster then she should? _Because,_ Olivia thought sadly, _in public mommy is like she used to be… almost. _Her mother looked feverishly happy, and with an awful malice dug her nails in Olivia's arm. Because of things like this- and much worse- Olivia never went anywhere without wearing long sleeves to cover up her arms. She was especially thankful that they were at a funeral and dressed in black, because if it had been white sleeves the white would've been stained one way or another by splotches of blood.

"Nonsense. A funeral is the perfect time to make new friends." She said, grabbing Olivia's scrawny shoulders and steering her roughly over towards the gaggle of boys.

"Hello boys." Her mother said, interrupting whatever it was that Charles was about to say. Something about zombies and turkey rolls? All four whipped round to look at the odd pair, confusion etched on every single one of their faces and Olivia tried very hard to look happy, which was a difficult task when she was around her mother. She stretched her lips into something that didn't even feel like a smile at all. The boys gave her a weird look, and she gave up on the effort.

Olivia didn't even feel like being here. All she wanted to do was go home, lock her door and listen to music so loud it would drown out all thoughts. She hated funerals. It brought back painful memories that when she even thought about it, it made her breath lock up in her throat and her eyes burn up with tears.

"Um..hi?" Preston said, unsure of who he was addressing. Olivia craned her neck to look up at her mother, who had a smug expression on her face.

"Hello, I was wondering if you would be able to keep my poor little darling here company, Olivia doesn't have any friends." Her mom stated. Olivia, knowing it was true, just bowed her head in embarrassment, feeling her ivory face boiling with humiliation.

Cary nodded at Olivia's mother, smirking slightly. She felt her face heat up and she suddenly felt very self-conscious from the way he was studying her.

It wasn't like she had anything to be self-conscious about, as Olivia was extremely pretty. Pale, creamy skin and rosy cheeks, honey brown freckles and big warm brown eyes. Copper coloured hair that just reached past her shoulders, and dimples either side of her cupid's bow mouth. She wasn't just pretty, she was beautiful even. Olivia, of course, had it burned in her brain that she was hideous, and spent most of her time hiding her face behind her wavy locks of hair.

She didn't just think or say she was ugly for attention, as some girls in her grade did. She honestly believed it, and her mother- who was never kind towards her daughter- repeatedly told her several times a day.

But the part she found the most disgusting, the most hideous and revolting part of her body was her arms.

Laced with tens of scars in some sort of morbid pattern, crisscrossed her arms from her wrist to her elbow. Some still fresh, some barely scabbed over, some with stitches still poking out, and most completely healed, leaving nothing but cold shiny skin stretched over where the injury once was.

The scars were the main reason Olivia despised her mother.

"Sure we can." Cary answered, interrupting Olivia's thoughts. Her mom clucked her tongue in approval, and spun on her heel, leaving her alone.

An awkward silence passed and Olivia shuffled from foot to foot, not knowing what to say. Martin was distinctly avoiding looking at her and settled to staring out the frost covered window, seeming extremely fascinated. Charles just reached for a turkey roll, Preston looked at his shoes while Cary just stared openly at her, gawking.

"I do have friends!" She blurted out into the silence, and snapped her mouth shut feeling her face flame. All four boys grinned, knowing it was a complete lie.

"Sure you do." Cary teased, and Olivia gave her best glare. Charles chuckled and stuck his hand out.

"Hey, I'm Charles Kaznyk." She nodded with a faint smile, and shook his hand politely. The others introduced themselves except for Cary. _Shit-head, _she thought. She glared at him, already disliking the boy. _I mean, kind of cocky isn't it, to just assume I know who he is and what his name was._ She did know, but everyone else introduced themselves, and she thought he was being extremely rude.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Olivia said after she gave Cary a very stern look. "I'm Olivia Hobson."

"Oh, I remember you! I sat next to you in math!" Preston says eagerly. She nodded with a small polite smile and tucked a loose strand of copper coloured hair behind her ear. "You always used to copy me." He said, grinning happily. She looked at him, wrinkling her freckled face up, confused.

"You're happy about that, because…?" She asked in confusion, a little smile creeping on her lips before she could stop it. Olivia didn't notice that he went an unattractive shade of crimson and opened his mouth to reply, when all of a sudden raised voices came from the hall.

All the boys crept over to see who was arguing, and leaving Olivia no choice but to follow or stand on her own like a fool. A bloke with wavy shoulder length hair and sideburns was roughly being dragged out the house by none other than Jackson Lamb.

The blonde man was yelling 'wait', but Jackson just ignored him and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, grabbed some handcuffs from his belt loop and snapped them on the man's wrist. Deputy Lamb, ignoring the man's shouts roughly shoved him out the house, kicking the door open. All the guests, raced to the window to watch Deputy Lamb throw the man into the back of his police cruiser, and speed away.

Joe Lamb, sitting on a swing in an oversized black jacket watched the car speed down the street, confusion etched on his features.

"Come on Olivia, let's go. I've had enough." Her mother said; her face inches from Olivia's. She visibly flinched and took a step back in fright, standing on someone's foot.

"Ow, shit-head!" Charles snapped.

"Don't call me shit-head." She said miserably, and tears prickled in her eyes. Charles noticed and looked extremely guilty. "It must be the damn onions." She sniffled, knowing full well there were no onions about. Before he could do something- like apologise and make her tears spill- she trotted after her mother, who was standing in the doorframe looking mad.

A hot wave of dread washed over Olivia as she glumly followed her mother outside, hitching up her long black dress so it didn't get drenched.

As Olivia passed Joe on his swing, she paused, wanting to say something. _But what?_ She had never even spoke to him before, so as she passed she gave him a small smile of encouragement. She then hopped into her mom's silver grey car and let her drive her home.

She didn't say anything, fearing it would result in more punishment. It didn't matter either way though, as that night Olivia dropped off to sleep, fresh stitches on a new cut. _The longest one yet._

**_Four months later._**

Olivia glanced at the clock, watching the seconds tick by. As punishment for slapping Tracey Judd silly she had to spend the rest of the day in the library, sorting out the books in silent reading section.

Olivia didn't see why she got punished. It was during gym, and they were learning self-defence. Tracey got all up in Olivia's personal space, so she defended herself from Tracey's bad breath. _Serves her right if you ask me. _Olivia felt Tracey had no right breathing on her with breath that foul it made skunks jealous.

Once in a while the Librarian would come and check up on her, which meant she had to leap into action and pretend she was working, but she usually got there in time. The librarians heavy footsteps echoed throughout the whole library, making the bookcases tremble. Some people say it's because she's so scary. Logical people say it's because she is one fat shit.

Charles, who was returning a book, crept over to Olivia stealthily. "The witch, coming our way!" He hisses, and she leaps into action, knocking a pile of books over and making herself look flustered that such a thing could happen and that they may be damaged and putting them onto the shelf with extra care.

"Olivia!" The witch barked with authority.

"Yes ma'am." Olivia said, unsure if she should salute to her.

"Don't speak to me in that tone!" She snaps. "I know your mother." To cover up Olivia's slight tremble, she cockily rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She said arrogantly, leaning against the bookcase. Fatty's beady little eyes narrowed at her menacingly.

"Do _not_ speak to me like that. I will call the principle!" Fatty hisses. She pretends to yawn and examine her orange painted nails. The librarian's hand twitched down to her boot and Olivia gazed down there fearfully, seeing the wooden stick poking out.

Some students say that she still uses the cane for those who were _really_ naughty, as if Olivia didn't get hurt enough. Even thinking about that, Olivia pulled down her pale pink cardigan even further down her wrists until the edges were stretched across her knuckles.

The librarian smiled wickedly. "Hurry up and sort these out Miss Hobson, you won't be going home until every single book is in its proper place, with only _me_ for company." And with that, she turned on her heel and marched out of the section, snapping at kids on her way out who were speaking over a whisper.

Olivia glanced over at Charles and glared at him as he tried to conceal his fits of silent laughter. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up Charles, if I'm here all night, I won't be able to help with the movie." She shot at him, taking pleasure in seeing his face fall.

"What? You're the only one who brings food!" Ever since she met the boys at the funeral, they've been good friends. Her mom was right for once, a funeral was a good time to get new mates or whatever. She didn't have any friends before, so it was easy for her to slip into the gang. Sadly, all the jobs in the movie were taken, so her job was helping Joe with make-up and bringing food- which she didn't mind at all. She was just glad to get away and have friends around her to distract her.

She got on great with the boys, except for one.

"Speak of the devil." She muttered darkly to herself as Cary raced into the room, a huge smile on his face.

"Oh my god! Did you hear that? Di-did you hear that explosion? Man that was the best chemistry lesson _ever_ man! Shit, that was fucking awesome!" He said as he jumped into the chair next to Charles and smiling like a child on Christmas. He sees Olivia, and if possible, his smile gets wider.

"Hey midgit! You would've loved it! I just _know_ you love fire and explosions and shit." He teases, and Olivia glares at him nastily to try hide her hurt. Ever since she confessed that she had a fear of fire when he tried to blow her up, he never stopped teasing her about it. Each time he did though, it made her feel sadder and sadder.

_If only he knew the real reason._

Olivia smiled at him sarcastically. "Yeah, I just get all excited from the thought of it!" and then, she added nastily, "Just a shame I'm not a bloke like you Cary, and don't get wet dreams over them." His face went beet red and he flipped her off, his blue eyes narrowing.

"I hate you, you smart-ass." She shrugged. She couldn't care less if she tried.

She walked towards the two and sat in front of Charles and grinned at them both.

"Wanna play this new game I invented?" She asked, getting a coin from her pocket. "It's awesome. I throw the coin in the air, and you have to catch it in your mouth without swallowing it." Charles moaned, shaking her head at Olivia.

"You're both in need of physiological help. Cary is going to burn to death one day, and Olivia, you will just try something crazy like jumping off a bridge to see if you'll live, and you will die. That would ruin my movie!" Charles moaned again, burying his face in his hands. Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically and smirked at Cary, imagining his butt on fire.

She giggled to her own little thought, and Charles looked at her as if to say, 'there! You are a crazy bitch!"

"Gotta go pack the books away now before Fatty spanks me." Olivia says, getting up from the table.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Cary says haughtily.

"Fuck _off._" Olivia gives him the finger and then makes a cut-throat motion, mouthing 'die'. He looks even more amused and leans back in his chair. "I look forward to it." He says.

"No talking in the silent reading section." She snapped, getting more and more irritated. "It's meant to be silent reading, now go or read a fucking book." And she turns away from him, blanking the boy that makes her life almost worse.

"Can't you two just get along?" Charles sighs.

Together, in unison, as if they'd practiced; Cary and Olivia shared a look of disgust. "Hell no!"

Charles throws his arms up in mock surrender, shaking his head. Cary and Olivia grin at him. "Just be sure to stop by at my house and tell my mom I won't be home tonight." Olivia tells him with forced cheerfulness. As if her mother would even care, unless she wasn't around for her to take her anger out on. _I bet she never notices where I go at night_, Olivia wonders.

Olivia gets to work sorting the books out, grumbling to herself the whole time about Fatty and how much she hates Cary, refraining from mentioning anything about her mother.

At one point, Alice Dainard came in, and the moment Charles saw her, he shot after her like a bullet.

"Wonder what that's about." Cary says, musing to himself. Olivia shrugs in answer, not bothering to reply. "Hey, Liv!" Unable to help herself, she flinches, hating that Cary calls her that. Annoyed, Olivia spins round to him.

"What?" She says, exasperated.

"Heard that new kid Max Turner asked you out." He said, waggling his eye-brows. Olivia blushed furiously, and shoved a book into the bookcase.

"He did indeed." She said, trying to keep her voice controlled.

"What did you say?" Cary asked, his voice gone all weird. What Olivia couldn't see, as her back was turned, was the slight pallor of his face, the tightness round his eyes, and the way he gripped the table tightly until his knuckles went white.

Olivia, just about to snap at him- it wasn't any of his business- was stopped when Fatty screeched at him.

"Get out, get out, get OUT! I do not want you, MR FIREBOY-"She yelled, roughly stabbing him in the chest with her finger, "Anywhere _near_ my precious babies with your explosives!" She snapped, furious.

"Babies?" Cary asked, laughing at her. Fatty's face went an even deeper shade of crimson from anger, and grabbed Cary by the scruff of his neck and hauled his ass outta there, leaving Olivia behind, pissing herself laughing.

"OLIVIA! GET BACK TO WORK! NOW! OR SO HELP ME I WILL KEEP YOU HERE ALL SUMMER!" she flinched at the scream and scurried to pack away all the books.

The bell rung, finally, and while the witch was busy checking out everyone's books at her desk, Olivia crept to the back of the library, ninja style and jumped onto the window ledge. She mentally cursed herself. _Why in god's name did I choose today to wear a dress?_ Quickly scanning the ground beneath her and making sure there weren't any pervy boys lurking about, she dropped from the window and ran across the field to the front of school.

Spotting Joe's checkered shirt, she raced across the crowds of people towards him, not being careful as she elbowed people out of the way.

"Joe!" she called, and he visibly flinched. He whirled round to see where Olivia was standing, and grinned at her.

"Caught me by surprise." He laughs awkwardly. Olivia rolls her eyes and reaches into her backpack, bringing out some Twix's. They were the best chocolate bar's ever, and only came out earlier this year. She handed Joe one, but he politely declined. Secretly, Olivia was happy. She was never very good at sharing.

She pulled her auburn hair into a sleek pony tail, revealing all her face. When she was with her friends, she didn't really mind what she looked like. She didn't care very much if they thought she was butt ugly.

Olivia skipped along-side Joe, chuffed that school had just broken out for summer. This meant lots of bike rides, movie making, lots of sleepovers, and _lots _more time to tease Cary.

"Oh my god. That was the longest day ever!" Charles whined, coming up next to her. "Here." He said, handing Joe and Olivia both scripts.

She stared at it in her hand. She had gotten all chocolate marks on the paper from where the Twix had melted in her fingers, and she gazed at the ground sadly. He made her drop her candy bar. _Stupid little shit_, and Olivia playfully glared at Charles. Who, was in his own little world or didn't give a fuck.

"Quick!" Joe squealed. "Five second rule!" Olivia shook her head sadly. _It's too late. _

"Olivia, how the hell did you finish tidying up the section?" Charles asked, amazed. Olivia, grinning slightly, tapped the side of her nose with her finger with a wink.

Joe rolled his eyes. "You snuck out? When we get back to school, you, my friend, are dead." Olivia shrugged. She didn't mind detentions. The more time she was at school, the more she could stay away from home.

"What's this shit?" She asked, looking at the script which she now noticed was much thicker. "New scene?"

"Yeah, new scene. Check it out."

"Martin will freak out, man!" Olivia said, laughing at the prospect of seeing Martin vomit. For some odd reason, Olivia loved it when he did that, it was so gross! He vomits so much; it could make anyone with an eating disorder jealous.

"Detective Hathaway has a wife now?" Joe asked with confusion.

"I don't know. I think it might make a better movie. I need a better story line and production value." Charles said.

"Hey! Guys!" Olivia looked up, and her frown got even bigger. _First my candy bar, and now_ _this? _She shot him mean looks as Cary ran over to them and stood next to Olivia, discreetly, she tried to edge away from him. "Hey guys. Martin barfed all over his locker today. It was the grossest one yet! I've never seen so many colours in my life!" He said excitedly.

"Shit! Can't believe I missed it!" Olivia moaned, disappointed.

"Oh my god! Shut up!" Charles yelled at them both, and Cary and Olivia shared a smirk. He playfully stuck his tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes at his childishness.

"You're such a baby."

"You can't talk, I'm taller than you."

"But I'm amazing and mature." Olivia said patronizingly with a wink. "Unlike you."

"Liv don't deny your love for me!" Cary sings. She raised an eyebrow and gave him the finger.

"In your dreams bitch."

"Oh my god, the both of you SHUT UP!" Charles screams with annoyance, storming on ahead. Olivia gave him the finger behind his back, knowing full well he'd have a cow if he saw her. She jogged back up towards the guys.

"So, who's gonna play the wife? Jen?" Joe asked.

"No way. I told you what she did with my top hat." Charles said.

"What about Olivia?" Joe asked again.

She laughed awkwardly. They all knew how bad she was at acting. Charles groaned.

"If we use Olivia, I'll lose for sure! No, we need someone good to be the wife. Someone… pretty." She nodded, agreeing.

"What wife?" Cary looked a little bit pissed off with Charles, and kept glaring at him, and back at Olivia. Probably because he was stupid and didn't know what was going on, she assumed.

"Yours." Olivia snapped.

"Alice Dainard." Charles said. Joe tensed beside her, and she grinned at Cary. After the last sleepover between her, Cary and Joe, they played truth or dare. Joe, never being the daredevil, opted for truth, and admitted he liked her a little bit. He had like 'admired her from a distance' or something, but then Cary and Olivia stopped listening because for no reason what-so-ever, Cary decided to tackle her to the ground and force her to eat a worm.

They crossed the road, not even looking for a car, and went to the candy store opposite school. The gumballs in the gumball machine out front were dirt cheap so they all get some except for Cary who couldn't eat them because of the metal invading his mouth.

"I was returning that book on codes and ciphers and chatting to Olivia and Cary, when I saw her come in. She was in the silent reading section, and I asked her if she'd play Hathaway's wife." Charles said, putting change into the slot in the gumball machine.

"Wait. You talked to Alice Dainard, really?" Joe asked with disbelief, wearing a cute faint smile.

"You're not supposed to talk at all in the silent reading section. It's for silent reading." Cary whispered, as if to prove his point.

"Hey! I said that! You stole it!" Olivia accused.

He grins at her. "I stole it, and made it better." He said winking.

"Shut up, both of you. She said yes. We're filming tonight, and she's driving." Charles said with finality in his tone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, thanks to my one reviewer! Woo! Ahah, hope you like this one:p oh, and I know my title sucks, so anyone have any better ideas?**

**Schuyler xx**

* * *

><p>"I love you not." Olivia said, plucking another petal from the daisy. She glared at Cary, annoyed that he was such a baby. She couldn't believe he was making her do this.<p>

Cary and Olivia both lived on the same street. His house was next door to Olivia, and even though the two disliked each other, they walked home together. Mostly out of habit.

Cary was trying to prove to her that she was like those girls in the movies. Olivia would pretend to hate the- and I quote- 'extremely amazing hot guy with a smokin' butt', but secretly be head over heels for him and scibble in her diary _Mrs Cary Grant._ Olivia, of course, scoffed at this. So, she had to prove it on these daisy petals.

"I love you."

"I love you not."

"I love you."

"I love you not."

"I love you." And the last petal dropped to the floor. She stared at the petal-less flower with disgust, while Cary cracked up.

"It doesn't have a clue what its talking about!" She insisted as Cary slung an arm round her small shoulders. Olivia tried to wriggle away, but his arm gripped tighter. Olivia huffed in annoyance. _When I get home_, Olivia thought, _I'll jump in the shower and scrub every bit of my skin until it has been decontaminated._

"Au contraire, mes amis." He said. "The flower never lies!"

"Whatever." She mutters, and punches him to make him get off her.

"OW!" He yells. "That hurt dumbass." She gave him the most false smile she could muster.

"Oops." And before he could get her, she stood on his foot and ran down the road to her house as fast as she could, squealing with laughter. Olivia hated running down hills though, it always made her short of breath and giggily, and it was terribly difficult to stop.

She slows down and suddenly, she stops, stumbling a few feet forwards as momentum propelled her, causing Cary run to run right into her, causing Olivia to stumble forwards even more. He groans and clutches his bleeding nose.

"Ow, shit-head. I hate you." He says standing up and shoving her.

"Sorry, dick." Olivia snaps, shoving him back.

That was their relationship. _We could be civilised at times, and at each other's' throats the next._

"You're such a bitch." Olivia doesn't even blink an eyelid, she was used to worse.

"Shut up Cary. Do you know where Charles is?" She asks naming the reason why she stopped, narrowing her brown eyes. He eyes Olivia sceptically, his blue eyes curious.

"Why?"

"I need to talk to him."

"What about?"

"None of your business."

"Why do you want Charles so bad?" He asks with a smirk, a glint in his eye.

"Because I want to go find him, and rape him." She says, rolling her eyes. "None of your business. Now, where is he?"

"Why are you so mean?" Cary counters. She grits her teeth.

"Shut up Cary. Where. Is. He."

"He went home." He says simply, and without another word he walks right past me, whistling 'My Sharona'.

Mentally punching herself for being such an idiot (of _course_ that's where he is), she runs to catch up with him. He looks over at her and raises his eyebrows, but says nothing.

"And I'm not mean." She says quietly. His expression darkens and he glares at her.

"Urh, yeah, you are." He says, as if stating the obvious.

Her eyes pricked with tears, and she hurriedly blinked them away. She had a reason why she seemed bipolar.

"No, I'm not! I'm only mean to you." She grumbles, knowing that she was mean to everyone outside her circle of friends.

"I know." He says simply.

"Why do you want to know where Charles is?" He asks his voice all weird again. Olivia looks up at him with confusion.

"I forgot where we were meeting tonight." She says, twirling a piece of copper hair in her fingers worriedly. Cary watches her, fascinated by the colour of her hair, and grins.

"And why didn't you just ask me?" Cary jokes. She smiles despite herself, and quickly wipes it off her face. _Oh god, he is annoying_. She thought.

"Because you wouldn't tell me." He stays silent, knowing as well as her that is true. They walk for a bit, neither one of them wanting to speak to the other.

"Okay." He sighs. "Well we're meeting at midnight at the-"He smiles wickedly and dread courses through her, settling at the bottom of her stomach. Shit. "Get on your knees and I'll tell you."

"Erm, what?" She asks. _Did I just hear him right?_

"Get on your knees, and beg." Her jaw dropped.

"Hell no! Fuck off!"

He shrugged. "Fine, guess you're just not going to come tonight."

"What? Please just tell me!" he stubbornly shakes his head. "I hate you." She growls, to which he winks, and rubs a tongue on his braces.

Muttering darkly to herself, she gets down onto her knees, careful that her skirt doesn't fly up or show anything indecent, and looks up at him. "What now?" she growls.

_I. Hate. This. Cocky. Little. Shit. Whose. Name. Rhymes. With. Lary._

Looking extremely pleased with himself, he pretends to think about it. Using this time, she imagines four different ways she could kill him, and it makes her feel all happy and warm. "Say 'I love you so much Cary, I have never met a human as awesome as you, and I want to be best friends forever! Cary, you are also so hot and I love your firework collection!" he demands.

"But, my mommy told me to never tell lies!" Olivia says innocently. Seeing his smug expression, she sighs. Gritting and grinding her teeth down to stubs she does what he tells her to do, and he helps her up. Olivia dusts the dirt from her dress and glowers at the blonde headed twat. _Damn, I just want to slap that smug expression off his pretty little face._

Olivia stops. _Did I just say pretty?_ She shudders with revulsion and shakes her head to clear her thoughts. _What the hell? Cary? Pretty? Maybe in an alternative universe, but just ewwwwwww. I think I may hurl like Martin any second._

"You know that house that's up for sale near school? The one with like a massive driveway? Yeah, there. That's where we are meeting." He says cheerfully.

"Okay, thanks." Olivia says flatly, and crosses the road to her own beat-up looking house, not even bothering to say bye. She had no idea what infuriated her so much about him. She turns round and sees Cary staring after her. He notices Olivia looking, and grins. Annoyance courses through her, and she storms up the steps to her house, slamming the door behind her, realising too late that doing so was a bad idea.

Her mom, who was passed out of the kitchen table, woke up with a start, and her eyes zeroed on Olivia. Immediately, Olivia felt her armour melt, and stood where she was, feeling frightened.

"Olivia." She says to her patronizingly. "Come over here, sweet pea."

Not knowing what to do but obey, Olivia walks forwards into the kitchen with numb legs. This was the room she hated most. The front room was best. That was the room for punches and slaps. The kitchen was the room with the knives. Olivia stopped until she was standing a few feet away from her mother.

"Liv," Her mom said, and she winced. "Why did you slam the door? You know I hate rude awakenings." She said slowly, getting up from her position and walking over to the knife block. Olivia gulped, and knowing what was coming, took off her cardigan, and neatly folded it onto the floor by her feet. She didn't have very many as blood was very hard to get out.

Her mother was all for appearances, and each ruined one resulted in another punishment.

Her mom whirled around, holding the special blade, and no matter how many times Olivia saw it, she couldn't pretend it didn't scare or frighten her. She stood stock still, but whimpered as her mother came over to her, twirling the knife between her fingers with a scary malice.

Mrs Hobson motioned for Olivia to hold out her arm, and Olivia did, trying her best to keep it steady. The more it quivered, the deeper it went.

In one, quick motion, a flash of silver, the blade sliced into the meaty part of her arm as easy as sliding through butter. Sometimes, Olivia wondered how her mother didn't manage to get it so deep. It must be easy to get it to cut right through to the bone.

Olivia, gasped in pain, and struggled to stand upright. She gripped her arm to staunch the flow of blood. Olivia's mom, went to the frequently used first aid box, dumped rubbing alcohol on the fresh cut and handed Olivia a bandage. Her eyes watered from pain and she hissed as the alcohol stung like hell. But she didn't let them spill.

Mommy didn't like tears.

"Go wrap it up yourself and I don't want to hear a peep from you all night." She said harshly. Olivia nodded. This was the same every night. She was to go to her room and cry silently while her mother drunk herself senseless. Olivia was only to bother her if she was deserving of a punishment.

Holding her burning arm, Olivia rushed down the hall to her room, and with shaky fingers, wrapped up the wound. She secured it with some tape, and making sure she could still move it; she grabbed her pen and crawled to the corner of her room.

Lifting the flap of ripped wall paper, she stared at the amount of lines she'd made per cut. She looked at it sadly, and marked another one of, signalling another five and been done. She then threw the pen away and flopped onto her bed, and sobbed into her pillow, wondering what she did to deserve this sort of life.

_You were fucking born_.

* * *

><p>At quarter to twelve, she left her house, quietly shutting the door behind her. She'd gotten changed since school as a few droplets had gotten on the hem of the skirt, and was now in one of her old tea dresses. It was supposed to be plain white, but since she loved to paint- it was covered with small specks of yellow, red and blue. She had on her special lucky white pumps on, which were blacker than white really- being so mucky when they played baseball. Her copper coloured hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and stray bits of hair flapped at her face. Unlike most girls, she never wore make-up. Her mom refused to buy her it when she once asked, and had told her that no amount of make-up could make her fugly face look remotely nice.<p>

She shivered and had goose bumps down her legs, the only protection being the bandages round her knees and plasters on her shins from fights (which she got into, frequently).

She hated fighting, she really did, but when she came to school with bruises on her legs and face from unknown reasons, people started to get suspicious. Her mommy, had a perfect solution. She forced Olivia to start being a bitch at school, getting into fights as much as she could to a) ruin her future of getting into a good college (who would want a violent kid?) and b) it gave the bruises an explanation. This made Olivia develop a very short temper with people that she didn't trust, and she wasn't very witty with comebacks, so normally she would just punch people. It was why she didn't have any friends until she met the boys. People were scared of pissing her off and nobody wanted to be friends with a girl who could hardly ever hang out outside of school because she was always in detention.

Another thing her mother ruined.

It is always so easy to sneak out of her house. At night, her mom always drinks herself stupid and normally passes out on the couch. Tonight was no different, except she was sneaking out to meet people, not just aimlessly wandering the streets of Lillian like she usually does.

Rooting in her pocket, she comes up with a piece of gum and pops it in her mouth, and crosses her front yard to Cary's house. She gets a good, fist sized rock, and aims to throw it (and hopefully smash) his window, when he comes charging out his front door.

"Don't you dare." He snaps. She shrugs and drops the rock on the sidewalk. Hitching her red backpack higher on her shoulders and checking to make sure the sleeves on her cardigan covered her arms, she set off in a quick stride, Cary following closely behind humming 'My Sharona' once again.

They were the first to arrive, so Olivia sits on the bank and brings her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms round them to keep them warm, and rests her chin atop her knees, settling to wait for the others. Cary settles down next to Olivia and she glares.

"Move over you fatass, your nearly sat on my lap."

"Whatever." He mutters, giving Olivia the finger, blushing slightly.

Cary budges up and continues to hum that infuriating song. Not in the mood for an argument though, Olivia lets him hum, just occasionally sending him looks of disgust and annoyance. He doesn't notice, of course, and just sings until the boys arrive. Joe, noticing Olivia's infuriation gives her a twizzler and a small smile, instantly cheering her up a little bit.

"Thanks." She says, and viciously bites the end of the twizzler off wishing it was either her mom's or Cary's head. He nods, and Charles pushes Cary away for calling him fat, so now Olivia was at the end of the line.

The boys started singing some lines from 'My Sharona', making her even more annoyed and just basically started chatting, none thinking to involve Olivia in their conversation. She wasn't bothered though, her arm was still throbbing, and she has swathed it in more bandages to stop the blood from coming through, as earlier it was bleeding quite heavily.

Next thing Olivia is aware of, Alice is pulling up onto the curb next to them. Olivia waves slightly, a bit shy and Charles moves forward to open the door.

"Hey guys, get in." She says, smiling at Olivia. The smile drops though, when she sees Joe.

"Joe Lamb?" She asked, glaring at him.

"Yeah?" Joe asked, wearing a dopey smile.

"What the hell's he doing here?" Alice asked, seeming very _very _pissed off.

"Make-up, sound and special effects." Charles spoke, confused.

"He's the Deputy's kid!" She exclaimed.

"So what?"

"You knew that?" Joe butted in, seeming much happier, the dopey smile back.

"Charles, I don't have a license. I can't drive with him." She said flatly, pretending Joe didn't even speak.

"You want Joe to stay back? I guess…."

"It's too late! He's seeing me in the car right now!" She huffed, and as if expecting to see Deputy Lamb coming around the corner, she looked into the windshield.

"You can trust me. My dad will never know. I won't tell him anything." Joe said sincerely. She stared at him for a second.

"Get in." She sighed. Joe's smile came back immediately and we all piled into the car. Somehow, Preston, Martin, Joe and Olivia were able to squeeze in the back. Cary, Charles and Alice were all in the front.

"So, I wrote a couple new lines. Can I show you?" Charles said to Alice once they were on their way. Olivia stared out of the window, squished up next to Preston who waved awkwardly towards her. Rolling her eyes at his goofynes, she grinned and waved back, giving him a little wink.

He frowned, and then settled to try to wink. Olivia only winked at him because she knew he didn't know how, and he was always demanding her to teach him. She laughs at his funny expressions, and he grins at her.

"What! New lines? Charles, do I have new lines?" Martin asked disbelief and annoyance lacing his words.

"Don't throw up Martin." Olivia warns. "We can get through this. Save it for when we're out of the car." She teases.

"Shut up! Do you know what would be really great? Is if you could cry during the scene." Charles said, yelling at Olivia to shut up. "Can you do that?" He asked Alice, whose eyes were still on the road.

"No." She said flatly, glancing at him. Preston said something about how he loved her driving, and Olivia rolled her eyes. _If that was a pick up line, it was absolutely terrible_. She made a mental list to tease him later.

"You know the first place I'm gonna drive when I get my license? New Castle, Pennsylvania. Fireworks Capital of America." Cary told her. Olivia glares at him, not even knowing herself why he was annoying her so much tonight. She ignored him completely and her face became annoyed.

"Want one?" Joe held out a Twizzler to Alice. She eyed him for a second in the rear view mirror before turning round and snatching it. Joe smiled briefly and leaned back into his seat between Preston and Martin.

"Wait, so, I don't have new lines, right? Because I just learned these." Martin asked again. Which, was pointless. Nobody answered him. Joe caught Alice's eye for a second before she was once again concentrating on the road. The second her eyes flitted away, he had a small smile on his face.

The car pulled into an empty parking lot, and everyone bailed out of the car.

"Guys, there's an electrical output up here!" Charles yelled at everyone as he walked up onto the station platform.

"Of anything, why that?" Cary muttered, going around to the trunk and opening it. Preston and Joe went to the trunk to help him carry the camera, and Joe grabbed this little tool box of monster make-up.

Olivia walked up to the platform and sat on the railing, pulling her backpack onto her lap and looking at all her food. _The amount of food I eat,_ Olivia thought, _I should be the size of a house_. Spitting out her gum, she took out some tablets. She managed to sneak a few painkillers, and while the boys weren't looking, she popped a few in her mouth.

"Charles! Charles, man, do I have new lines or not? Oh! No!" Martin yelled as the wind blew his script out of his hands and he went chasing after them. Olivia laughed at him, and stood to catch a piece in her hand. Grinning, she brought it over to a distressed looking Martin.

"Guys, this is going to be great!" Charles said excitedly as he checked out the scenery, using his hands as a frame. "Get the lights and camera set up on that end, we'll shoot this direction first. Joe, get the mike plugged in and make sure that the new batteries are in the camera, before you do the make-up!" Joe nods, and everyone rushes about. Not sure what to do, Olivia sits on the steps leading up to the platform, thinking that Charles got too bossy at times like these.

Looking around, she spotted Cary not too far behind her. "I took apart two packs of cherry bombs and made my own M-80. Do you want to see it?" Cary asked Preston eagerly.

"Your obsession with fireworks, and I'm saying this as a friend, concerns me." He says matter-of-factly. "And my mother." He adds, adjusting the lens on the camera into focus. Cary frowns and looks put out.

Olivia jumps down from my perch and sits across from him, making sure her dress kept her decent.

"What's an M-80?" She asks curiously.

"Seriously?" He gasps, shocked, his blue eyes as wide as saucers. Olivia nods.

He opens his mouth- no doubt to go into a very long explanation of what an M-80 is, but then Charles gives him a very hard look. Cary, obviously knowing what it means, sadly puts them away and goes to help Preston set up the camera.

He winks at her. "I'll show you later Liv."

"Sweetheart, this is my job. I have no choice. It's nothing you need to worry about. What am I supposed to do? Go to Michigan with you? Sweetheart, this is my job." Martin says. Olivia looks over at him, confused, thinking he was speaking to himself, but then she noticed the script in his hand and realised he must be practicing his new lines. Charles moves over to him.

"Martin! I wrote a new line."

"What? No!" He moans.

"What do you mean 'No'? It's awesome, okay? So, you know that part when-"

"I just finished memorizing this line." Martin complains.

"It's not gonna be hard-" Martin groans at Charles, and makes his expression all desperate and almost like he's trying to make himself look in pain. Olivia almost laughed at him.

"Look, it flows better. 'Honey, I love you.', 'I love you, too.' See? It flows." Charles insists, losing his patience.

"I know, but you keep changing things and making it more difficult for me." Martin moans, and she rolls her eyes. It's one stinking line.

"It's- Martin, its simple. 'I love you, too.' It's like, four words." Charles exclaims at the annoyed looking Martin.

"My dad works at the mill." Olivia's head snaps up, and is immediately drawn to the conversation between Joe and Alice, and can't help herself eavesdropping. Alice looks at him sadly, but he says nothing. Something bubbles up inside of her, she doesn't know what. Quite a lot of people work at the mill, and there have been a lot of accidents. The one before Joe's mom, was the accident where the whole factory went up in flames six years ago.

Her own father was devoured by the fire.

Olivia huffs in annoyance. _What a silly thing to say to someone whose mother has died recently_, Olivia thinks. _If my own mother died, I'd dance on her grave, but that doesn't mean Joe doesn't love his mom and miss her_. Joe looks awfully sad, and Olivia's heart pangs. She has mostly gotten over the death of her father, but Joe's mother has barely been gone.

She turned away from the station and sat back on the step, ignoring everyone. She looked up at the stars and waited for it to be over.

"So, this scene is very emotional. Alice, Mrs. Hathaway really doesn't want her husband to keep investigating these zombie murders. You really hate it."

"Yeah, I know. We read it. We get it." Alice says in a bored tone, speaking over Charles, annoyed to be bossed around.

"_God_, I'm just directing." Charles said back, snapping at her. Alice ignored it.

"Martin! Martin, get in position. You need to reassure her." Charles instructs. "Wait. Do you know what "reassure her" means?" Charles asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Martin said, looking sort of confused. He bit his lip, as if trying to remember. Olivia thought guys who had glasses were supposed to be smart. Internally, she laughed at her own joke.

"Okay. We're gonna shoot on Alice's side first. Okay, Preston, so, a few seconds after I say 'action', I want you to walk over to the pay phone. You know, make the place look like it's full. 'Hello, Hello?'" Charles demonstrated using the phone, as if Preston hadn't ever used one before.

"I know what that looks like." Preston said flatly, in his over-sized trench coat.

Straight from behind her small explosions went off, making Olivia leap from her perch and scream. Everyone else had jumped too and was staring at Cary in fury.

"Holy shit!" Olivia screamed at Cary. Charles , fuming, stomped over to where Cary was grinning.

"Asshole!" Charles yells. "Could you stop blowing shit up for two seconds, and deal with the camera?"

"God! Sorry, man!" Cary laughed, not seeming sorry at all. He waves his lighter in the air for a few seconds, and Olivia stares at the flame with a mixture of fear and fascination, transfixed, mesmerised. He flicks the lighter shut, snapping her out of the trance.

"You're a dick." She hisses. "I've told you not to put that thing anywhere near me!" He laughs at her, and Olivia's face heats up with shame, Cary shrugs, stuffing the firecrackers back into his backpack. Olivia stares at the ground, gently rubbing a finger over her new cut, before looking back at Charles.

"Okay you guys, let's rehearse this. But remember, save the real performance for when we're filming." Charles says bossily. Alice and Preston nodded, and Charles walks out of the way of the camera. "Here we go. Positions, and action!"

**_Detective Hathaway_**_: So, I'm going to stay here and investigate. I think it'd be safer if you left town for a couple of days._

**_Mrs. Hathaway_**_: John, I don't like it. This case. These murders._

**_Detective Hathaway:_**_ Well, what am I supposed to do, go to Michigan with you?_

_(Enter Extra on the phone)_

**_Mrs. Hathaway_**_: Mackinaw Island's beautiful this time of year._

**_Detective Hathaway:_**_ Sweetheart, this is my job._

**_Mrs. Hathaway_**_: The dead coming back to life? I think you're in danger!_

**_Detective Hathaway:_**_ I have no- I have no choice. _

**_Mrs. Hathaway_**_: You do have a choice. We all do. _

_(Mrs. Hathaway begins to cry/ look sad)_

**_Mrs. Hathaway_**_: John, I've never asked you to stop. I've never asked you to give up, or walk away, but I'm asking you now. Please. For me. Don't go. Don't leave me. I need to know this isn't the last time I'm going to see you. I just love you so much._

**_Detective Hathaway_**_: I love you too. (WITH FEELING MARTIN)_

"Was that good?" Alice asked, looking at Charles. Everyone was frozen in shock at her amazing acting. Everyone seemed lost for words.

"Um… urn- yeah. Yeah, that was… that was, great." Charles stuttered, his eyes wide and misty. Preston hurriedly blinked away tears and Martin wiped a tear from his eye with his sleeve, trying to be discreet. Olivia just stared at Alice in shock. _Wow, she was good!_

The sound of a train wheels and horn snapped them out of their reveries. Olivia peered into the darkness, and saw a train coming their way. Charles was already way ahead of her though, and was stood at the end of the platform, staring ahead in delight. He turned back around, excitement etched in every crevice of his face.

"Production value! Cary, you put film in the camera, right?" Charles barely waits for an answer, no doubt expecting it to be a yes.

"I didn't put it in." Cary said.

"Uh oh." Olivia mutters, and she almost feels sorry for Cary for the look Charles is giving him right now.

"What? Put it in! Put it in! Joe, get the mike ready! Go go go!" Everybody scrambled around, leaping into action, all except for Olivia. The boys preferred her not to get involved. That was another reason why Olivia just brought the snacks. She always seemed to ruin everything.

Last time she tried to 'help' she broke the boom mic. She had to pay for it to get repaired, which meant stealing money from her mom, which meant even more neglect and hatred and slaps and pinches and cuts from her, because of course she found out.

As everyone bustled about, Olivia huddled in the corner on her own, she never felt more alone. She was surrounded by her friends, but was merely a shadow, and no-one even glanced her way, she thought sourly.

"Get in costume, costume, costume! Joe, help her! Hurry up! Martin, get that tripod set up!" Joe and raced over to Alice and zipped the dress up over her jeans. She wriggled out of it quickly, the dress covering her and got into position.

"Preston get in position!" Charles yelled at poor Preston.

"I will. I have to get the money." He yelps, scrambling to do as Charles wants.

"Go! Get these headphones ready! GO! Martin, you know your lines!" Charles snaps and scrunches up the script as Martin hurriedly reads over them once more. "Hurry! Get that camera ready! Go! Go!" He turned to Cary.

"Shut up! We'll start on Alice and pan to the train, right?" Cary asked. Charles completely blanked him and ran to the end of the platform.

"Oh god, I hope we don't miss it!" Charles moans, and runs to stand behind the camera to boss Cary about.

"Shut up! I'm trying!" Cary yelled at him.

"Hurry! Get that set up! Let's go! Positions, positions!" Charles put the headphones on, Cary took hold of the mike and Joe brought over the boom mike and made it hover above Alice and Martin.

"Ready. Start filming. Be extra loud when the train passes by. Here we go. And action!" Olivia stayed where she was sat and just leant forward a bit, to watch the train come past. She didn't bother to watch the Alice act again, so she sat and waited, and listened to Martin and Alice try to shout over the rumble of the train.

They were basically screaming at each other, but, Charles was right. It did make for good effects. The wind blew and battered everyone's hair and clothes. Her copper hair fell completely out of its band and Olivia's eyes stung as her hair whipped her eyes. Everyone 'behind the scenes' were exchanging gleeful glances that this was all turning out alright.

She watched the others for a few minutes before standing up to stand next to Joe. He was looking off into the distance and his smile had completely gone. Olivia followed his gaze, and before she could even comprehend what she was seeing, she let rip a blood curdling scream.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, I'm writing this at half past eleven, I'm too scared to sleep as I keep having nightmares. Thanks for the three awesome reviews, I feel so loved ;) Sorry if this is really horrificly bad.**

**Schuyler xx**

* * *

><p>Everyone looked at her like they'd forgotten she was even there, and she was crazy.<p>

"GUYS! WATCH OUT!" Joe screamed and started to push everyone away.

"Olivia, what the hell?" Charles yells, only to be answered by the sound of explosions and ripping metal. A wave of heat hit Olivia's back and she turned, frozen, as the train crashed and ripped apart, everything on _fire_.

"Oh my god!" Cary exclaimed, a smile beginning to form on his face.

"RUN!" Joe screamed at everyone, and without even thinking, they all did what he said.

Everyone scattered into different directions, no real destination in mind, just _away._ Everywhere Olivia looked, flames licked the scraps of metal, and more of it was raining down and around them. More and more explosions went off, each one louder than the next, making her ears ring. All of her own screams were deaf even to her own ears as she dodged each of the flying debris.

"Oh my god!" Martin screamed.

"GO!" Joe shouted, but they stopped when a piece of the train went flying by.

"Holy Shit!" Cary screamed and ran off after Joe, Charles not far behind. Preston and Martin had already made it off the other side, and disappeared under the porch of the station.

"Alice!" Olivia looked back to see Alice run off around the other side of the station, and she ran that way towards her. Joe almost went after her too, but seeing Olivia headed that way he changed his mind and continued running with his friends.

Olivia ran away from the station, but stopped and turned the other way as a large piece of the train came flying by, bringing a whole lot of debris with it. She tripped and cut her knee on some shrapnel sticking out of the ground, but barely registered the pain. Dirt and soot coated her from head to toe.

Her heart pounded, and even though the whole place was alight with flames and searing heat, she was frozen. Fear coursed through her veins and seemed to freeze her from the inside out. Big orange, yellow and red flames flickered around her, and she broke out into sweat. Once again, not from the heat. It was the fear.

She ran as fast as she could, dodging bits of flying train. She didn't see anyone after that, and Olivia wondered briefly, if anyone was hurt- or worse. _What about Cary? _Her internal self-moaned.

Olivia's trail of thought was interrupted as another part of the train exploded, knocking her to the ground. She flopped onto her back, coughing from the thick smoke. Flames jumped up all around them, and explosions still went off. Olivia frantically searched for somebody, anybody. She didn't take care of her steps; she just ran and ran and ran.

As she raced across the burning grass, debris continued to rain down onto the track, and Olivia glanced back just in time to see the station blown to shit by the train, leaving the platform in splinters. As it exploded, train cars and doors and scrap metal landed on both sides of her, one nearly landing on her. She screamed and ran faster, her legs burning form the exertion.

Olivia saw Joe just then, and started to run towards him. Until some part of the train crashed in front of them, and exploded.

She was suspended in the air for less than a second before her whole world was on fire. Burning. That's all she felt. Nothing else. It felt like the blazing flames were dancing on her body, throwing a wild party. The sensation was too much, and she began to cry from the pain. A pain so intense, she nearly forgot what she was doing.

Olivia wondered to herself if this was how her father felt when he died. Alone, with fire dancing around him, begging for him to come and play. Maybe that's why he died, she muses. He simply gave up.

_Giving up._ Ooh doesn't that seem tempting.

Another wave of pain racked her body and she screamed out loud, the heat intensifying on her body. Her fingernails gripped onto the dirt, clawing at it, as if that might give her some relief. Olivia could hear no more explosions, just a painfully buzzing noise in her ears. She sobbed into the ground as pain laced her body and made her convulse. It felt like a thousand bee stings, a million cuts zigzagging her back. _Oh god, the pain._ She screamed one, long endless wail until her breath fell short and Olivia was panting to catch her breath. A rad haze wavered into her vision, and without even struggling, she fell to the mercy of the flames. _Maybe this is what it's like to die._

Olivia opened her eyes blearily, immediately registering the pain. She moaned, and whimpered into the crook of her elbow. Flames still crackled around her, and as she looked around her, she noticed she was out for less than a minute. But, she did feel better than she had before.

Olivia still felt like she was in a bathtub of fire, but it wasn't as intense. And, she could think clearly, which she was pleased to see.

She raised her head and looked around the burning plain, seeing Alice and the boys. She tried to shout them, but nothing came out of her mouth but a hoarse wheeze. No one even blinked.

"Martin, it's going be okay." Charles tried to calm Martin, as he seemed to be freaking out over something.

"No, it's not dude! Look at this!" He screamed, pointing to a huge piece of steel. From where Olivia was laid, she couldn't see what was on it, but the boys seemed to be spazzing out over it.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit." Martin swore, like a mantra. All the boys looked to each other fearfully.

"What's all that blood?" _Blood? _What blood? The boys all turn round and notice Alice walking over to them, looking exhausted, but uninjured. Joe grins at her, seeming very relieved that she is unharmed. He rushes over towards her, and stands next to her, brushing up against her slightly.

"What's the blood?" She repeated. "Did someone get hurt?" She looks around.

Then Cary moans. "Oh _SHIT!_ Where the hell is Liv?" He shouts, looking around him wildly, and Olivia sees his eyes widen at the huge steel shard.

"Olivia?" He whispers. No reply. Joe's smile drops and he looks queasy.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He repeats, backing away from the hunk of metal. "This can't be happening!" He moans. Knowing what was going through his mind, she tried wriggling forward in the dirt towards them, after her second attempt of shouting them just left a smear of blood trickling from her mouth and down her filthy chin, just leaving her exhausted, and another bit of shrapnel cut into her thigh the more she moved around.

Everyone's smiles from seeing Alice all dropped as they looked frantically at the bit of steel. They crowded round it, but no one seemed willing to touch it. Alice had tears dripping down her face, and she held her arms across her body, as if trying to keep herself together. Joe looked lost and confused, as if not being able to comprehend what was going on. Charles groaned in horror, hand covering his mouth. Preston looked around wildly, not even daring to stare at the bit of steel. Martin looked ready to hurl, and Cary…

Cary just looked heartbroken and furious at the same time, tears making tracks down his dirt streaked face. He bit onto his knuckle to stop from sobbing or crying out, and his whole body shook as if he had a fever.

"LIV!" Cary shouted, his voice cracking. He was only met with silence. Olivia watched him in mute horror, so desperately wanting to get to them, but the more she moved, the more it hurt. Silent tears dribbled down her face, and she felt hopeless.

"You don't think she's…?" Charles trails off, tears glistening in his eyes.

"NO!" Cary roars, and starts pulling at his hair, as if trying to rip it out from the roots. He suddenly drops to the floor, curling up in a ball.

Olivia, unable to watch, scrunched her eyes and tried once again to scream, only resulting in chocking on her own thick blood, bubbling up in her throat. Silent, hopeless tears dripped of the end of her nose, and then an idea hit her.

She wriggled forward, accepting the sharp piercing pain in her thigh like she does when she's at home. _Embrace it. _The more she hurt, the more likely she would scream! She rolled over onto her burnt back and scraped the metal that was jutting out of the ground onto one of her burns. Without even realising, she let out a small whimper.

But it was enough. All six of their heads snapped up to where she lay, and she moaned as more blood gurgled in her throat.

Alice screamed and leapt over towards her, ignoring her injuries, and pulled Olivia into a bone crushing hug. Olivia let out a weak scream as she touched her burns, and more blood came dripping from the corners of her mouth.

"That!" Charles whispers to Joe. "That is how blood needs to come out of mouths. If only I had my camera…" He trails off. Everyone looks at him, horrified. "What? Production value!" He exclaims.

Cary looked furious, and with strength no one knew he possessed, Cary punched him in the face. Olivia almost smiled, she knew a thing or two about flying fists, and that was a good throw. _I'm almost proud._

Cary rushes over to Olivia, eyes scanning her body to make sure she wasn't seriously injured. She glanced down at herself and blushed furiously. Her white dress was black with filth and red with blood, burn holes and rips all over it, showing way too much skin for Olivia to be entirely comfortable with a group of boys staring at her. Cary didn't even seem to notice.

"Liv?" He asks, pushing her matted hair back from her face. She nods instead of trying to answer, but she just ended up coughing up more blood anyway. "A-are you ok?" He asks.

"She's not ok!" Martin moans. "She's coughing up blood, oh god she's going to _die!" _He wails, and then goes to throw up. A hot wave of pain laces Olivia's body, and tears drip down her face.

"Help me." She mouths to Cary, and he nods.

"Guys, we got to help her up." Joe nods and moves over to help Cary, help her to her feet. Olivia winces and moans and cries and tries to scream as they help her up onto her own two feet. She realises, as she's standing, the pain isn't as bad. It was probably worse while she was in the ground, all the dirt and bits of metal poking into her. It was nice to have a strong cool wind onto her burns too, and Olivia took a deep shuddering, pain wracked breath.

Her throat still felt as if she had drunk a glass of liquid flames, but it was better to focus onto her other injuries. She could walk, but not without support, and the cuts on her knee, thigh and back were deep. The wound on her back didn't bleed very much as it was in one of the worst of the burns.

She leant on Joe to keep her steady and help her walk. Cary stood by Olivia's side the entire time, and the minute she was standing grabbed her blood coated hand in his soot coated one. She didn't even bother to wonder why he was acting so protective. When she could speak and had the engery, she would punch him for touching her without permission.

Now that the matter of Olivia's health was past them, they went 'exploring'.

Alice lifted up the shard of steel with help from Charles, and figured out that the blood was fake blood from Joe's make-up kit. Joe grinned sheepishly at a furious looking Cary, but when Olivia tried to meet his eyes, he flicked them away to focus on something else.

"Guys? Come here. What are these things?" Preston picked up this crystalline white box, mini little cubes jutting out on each of the cubes six faces.

"Shit, no one cares! Look around you! Olivia is dying man! You shit-head!" Martin screamed, before turning his back on us to throw up again.

"What?" Preston said fearfully, sending horrified glances at Olivia. "She's going to _die?_"

"Of course!" Martin screamed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She looks dead, she's going to die and haunt us all!" He moaned. Olivia rolled her eyes, laughing silently. God, they were melodramatic weren't they?

"Haunt us?" Preston said, sounding scared. "I don't want to be haunted." He said, hiccupping slightly.

"Well that's what's going to happen dumbass!" Martin yelled. "Any second now, she'd going to die, and we have to _watch_ and then we will never hear her teasing Cary again, or stealing all the popcorn, or her beat me up, we will never get to hug her, or she won't compliment my vomit, or call me Smartin, we will never tell her to shut up or-or-or" Martin sobbed, snot all over his face.

"That's encouraging. Thanks for the pep talk Smartin." Olivia said harshly, trying her best to keep her voice steady and stong.

Sounding very pissed off, Cary shouted: "Shut the fuck up man! She's not going to die, and if she could walk properly, she'd beat the shit out of you."

Olivia nodded, and tried to look menacing. Obviously, it failed, and seemed to make Martin smile and convince him she wasn't about to die.

"They look like white Rubik's Cubes, or something?" Charles said, ignoring Cary's outburst. Olivia gently squeezed Cary's hand, and he smiled weakly at her, his eyes scanning her face, as if terrified he'd ever forget it. _What the fuck? Why was Cary being so queer?_

"I don't think that's what they are. They don't move." Preston said, gotten over the fact that Olivia would haunt him and tried to make them move with his hands. Cary leaves Olivia with Joe, and sets out to explore. She studies Joe's face, and watched him stare after Cary, looking very amused. Joe looks at Olivia, and back to Cary, and back again, giving Olivia a little wink. Olivia ignores his wink, and gives him a knowing look, and bobs her head towards Alice. Joe blushes furiously and Olivia smiles slightly.

"They're heavy, like metal or something. There's like a billion of them!" Charles picked one up.

"What's going on?" Martin screamed to the sky, losing it almost completely.

"Martin, I fear for your sanity." Olivia croaks, much happier that barely any blood dripped from her mouth.

"Martin, it's gonna be okay, all right?" Charles said in a soothing tone, trying to calm the poor bloke out.

"Are you serious?" Martin was freaking out. _If I could move on my own, I would've punched him for being such a pussy._

"You guys! Get up here! You can see everything from up here!" Cary yelled to everyone from the top of a train cart, half buried in the dirt.

They all started to climb up, Joe taking extra care in helping Olivia up. Charles got up first, shoving Preston and Martin behind him, Alice followed closely behind, then Olivia and Joe limped up at the back. They all stared out at the wreckage.

Olivia was so shocked that only she was the one to get injured. _We could've all been killed!_ Looking down at the wreckage around her, she starts to feel sick, and slightly woozy. She raises a heavy feeling arm and pats the top of her head, checking for any head injuries.

"According to my Uncle Seth, and accident like this is exceptionally rare." Preston said to no-one in particular.

"It wasn't an accident." Joe said from beside Olivia, and she shook her head, supporting his point.

"What?" Martin asked, panicked.

Joe didn't answer, so Olivia did. Or, tried. "There was…a truck. Ran- right into the front." She wheezed, hot thick, coppery bloody gargling in her throat. She doubted anyone could tell a word what she said.

When everyone's faces looked at her with confusion to what she said, and then revulsion from the blood filled throat, which turned to sympathy. Sighing with annoyance, Olivia shoved Joe away and slowly limped to the edge of the cart to get a better look.

She barely searched for a minute, when she saw it.

The truck.

Using a dirt caked finger, Olivia pointed over towards the smashed up truck. Everyone's eyes followed to where her finger was pointing and gasped. All except for Cary, who moved over to her and draped his arm round Olivia's tiny waist. She sagged onto him, relieved to not be on her full weight again and he barely even noticed the extra weight. If he did, he didn't show it. He helped her limp away, being careful not to nudge any of her injuries, and led the others towards the truck.

They all stopped, about 10 ft away from the truck, no one daring to move any further.

"How could a pickup truck derail a train, man. That's impossible." Said Martin.

"Obviously, it isn't." Preston said cockily.

"Holy shit!" Cary exclaimed from right next to Olivia, his hot breath tickling her ear and making her shiver.

_Shiver? What the fuck? Must be the cold…_she told herself.

"Oh my god." Joe whispered. "I know that truck."

"Guys, is that him?" Charles said warily, horror laced in his words. Olivia nodded, biting on her lip to keep in the tears.

"Who?" Martin asked as Alice joined the line of bodies.

"It is?"

"Yeah, for sure!"

"Who is it?" Martin demanded, staring at the body slumped onto the wheel. Blood coated almost every bit of his skin, but he was still recognisable.

"Dr. Woodward." Olivia breathed.

"Dr. Woodward, the science guy?"

"Biology."

"Honors Biology." Said Cary, staring at the teacher with a mixture of disbelief and fear.

"I'm not in his class."

"We know."

"Just shut up Cary!" Olivia turned to glare at Martin.

"Remember when old man Woodward stole your electronic football?" Charles asked, whispering over to Cary.

"Yeah. He put it in the dungeon and never gave it back." Cary said sadly.

"The Dungeon?" Martin asked, and Olivia felt like punching him. This was not the time to be asking about teachers habits!

"That trailer Woodward kept in the school parking lot." Said Preston.

Annoyed, Olivia unlatched herself from Cary, and hesitantly moved forward towards the truck. Alice came up next to her and helped her limp painfully towards the truck.

"Dr. Woodward?" Alice called out softly to the unmoving man.

He didn't respond, and hesitantly, Olivia reached out to grab his blood soaked wrist _(I don't know why, maybe to wake him up or something_) but it slipped from her grasp and flopped to his side. Alice gasped as something fluttered out of his hand. She picked it up warily, and with a brief moment of hesitation, opened it.

"Map of the Contiguous United States." Preston read as all the boys joined us.

"What's the writing?" Joe asked to no one in particular. Olivia frowned slightly, and used a blood coated finger to trace the line along the map.

"Dates and times?" She wondered aloud, not sure why those would be on a map though. It looked like a timeline more than anything though.

"Guys, what's this line?" Charles asked, pointing to the trail with numerous dates and times linked to it.

"It's a schedule for the train." Joe said, and we were all silent in quiet realisation.

All of a sudden, the hand that had flopped down, and the man they pronounced dead ripped the map from Alice's hands. Olivia shrieked and stumbled back into Cary, who grabbed her roughly and shoved her behind him protectively. He glared at Dr. Woodward.

"What the-? He's alive. He's alive!" Martin was now freaking out once more, his eyes bug eyed and frightened.

"Holy crap." Olivia breathed, and sucked in a painful breath, shuddering.

Dr. Woodward scrunched his eyes up in pain, and flung his head towards us, staring after us with unfocused, glazed over eyes.

"Who are you?" He asked in a hoarse voice, which gave Olivia chills down her back, cancelling out the burns for a brief moment. Goosebumps pricked her arms, and she held back a shudder. No one was willing to move forward, to speak, so warily Olivia pushed Cary away roughly and stepped forward.

"Dr. Woodward. It's me, Olivia Hobson. You taught me last year? I'm the one that made that sheep lung explode? You've been in an accident. You're gonna be okay." She said as calmly as she could. She sensed Cary creeping up behind her slowly, and she wanted him to fuck off. Dr. Woodward might panic and pass out. Then what would they do? The second she stopped speaking, Dr. Woodward moved his other arm, which was hidden by his body, and pointed the object in his hand at her. Just as Olivia realised what it was, Cary yanked her back and covered her body with his own, pushing her further and further back from the fucking _gun._

"Back!" Cary yelled, gripping onto her wrist in a vice like hold, preventing her from moving away from him. Everyone, stifling small yelps and shrieks, jumped back as well.

"Holy Shit! Bloody hell! Fuckety fuck fuck fuck!"

"They will kill you." Dr. Woodward spoke in a grave voice, as if speaking at their funerals already. Olivia peaked round Cary to stare, but he grabbed her face and pushed it away, smushing her face in the palm of his hand. She licked his palm to make him drop it from her face, and she looked at the teacher. Cary glared at her, and wiped his hand on his trousers.

"Do not speak of this. Or else you, and your parents, will die." _Shit._

"Guys, look." Joe pointed at some people with flashlights in the distance, beyond the truck with Dr. Woodward.

"We shouldn't be here!" Alice said, her voice thick with fright, and sounded like she was trying her best to hold back the tears.

Olivia whimpered and buried her face into Cary's back, not even caring if he thought she was being weird and not caring if he was slightly grossed out by her either. She was shitting it!

"Go!" Dr. Woodward shouted as loud as he could with his injuries, waving the gun at the line of them. Alice shrieked, and Olivia, her throat still not up for screaming, groaned in fright.

"Come on! Move your fat _ass_." Cary yelled at her, dragging her along after everyone.

"Shit! Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Holy shit! Run! Shit!" Olivia gasped in pain as the fire in her back flared back to life, and she wheezed for breath more blood trickled down her chin. Tears streamed down her face, and she just wanted to curl up and sleep. She leaped over as many things as she could, plowing through the things that she couldn't, Cary keeping a tight hand round her wrist at all times, dragging her along with him.

"Liv, hurry the hell up or I will carry you." Cary warned, tugging her arm. She stumbled and almost fell. "I will not lose you again." He hissed in her ear. She stopped walking completely, and stared at him, completely confused. "Liv, this is _not _the time!" and he draped one of her arms over his shoulders. He half carried, half dragged her across the wreckage.

"Guys, there are a lot of nails on the ground. Be careful!" Preston warned, tiptoeing round the sharp nails.

Olivia felt like screaming something nasty at him, but she just wanted to get the hell away from there.

"Hurry! Come on guys!" Cary shouted to everyone. He roughly shoved Olivia in the backseat, and ran back to where the guys were, helping them collect all the equipment.

"Guys come on!" Alice yelled harshly, looking round at the advancing men with flashlights with fear. Olivia stared out the window, and her heart rate picked up.

"Dicks!" She screamed as loud as her throat would allow. "Hurry the fuck up!" She screamed, as the men's figures became more prominent. Who cares about _fucking equipment?_

They were all mumbling curses to themselves as they raced to collect every single thing of theirs.

"Guys come on! Let's GO!" Alice screamed. Then: "Fucking dumbasses." She muttered, giving Olivia a half-hearted smile. The two had barely spoken a word tonight, but they already seemed like friends. Olivia tried to grin back, but blood coated her lips. Embarrassed, Olivia hastily tried to cover it with her hand.

Then she noticed that her sleeves were ripped, and she gasped in relief. Thank _god_ all the soot and filth masked her scars.

"Move your ass! Let's go! Let's go!" Alice continued to scream.

"Who's got the bags?" Cary yelled.

"Get in the fucking car!"

"Get in!" Alice screeched at the boys. They dumped the shit in the trunk and piled in the car, scrambling and swearing to themselves in frustration and fear.

Cary jumped in next to Olivia, and she thought he must of forgotten about her injuries, as he hastily shoved her to the end of the seat to make room for everyone. She bit her lip and blinked back tears, hunched forward so her burning back wasn't pressed to the leather seats.

Nobody gave a shit about seatbelts, and Alice sped away from the train crash, the figures getting smaller and smaller the further they sped off. Olivia just hoped to god they didn't get her plate number. The tyres squealed once they got back on the road, kicking back dirt and leaving burn marks on corners and sidewalks. When Alice was in a hurry, she wasn't as good of a driver as Preston made her out to be.

"Holy shit! That was insane!" Charles yelled into the air, waving his hands in front of his face.

"He had a gun! An actual, physical gun! My heart is pounding! That train could've killed us!" Martin moaned, looking on the verge of either throwing up or passing out. Maybe both? It was hard to tell with him.

"Oh Shit!" swore Charles, while he messed with a piece of equipment. "My camera is shattered!" Moaned Charles.

"Are you ok?" Joe asked Alice, looking seriously worried about her.

"No." She stated simply, staring straight ahead.

"Guys I have never had a teacher aim a gun at me!" Martin whimpered, his voice cracking.

"It's hard enough to drive without everyone yelling! Alice yelled. Olivia had the impulse to tell her she was yelling too, but she thought that might be a bit inappropriate at a time like this.

"Guys, keep it down." Joe said, glaring at everyone squished in the back.

"Shit!" Charles shouted. "The focus ring fell off!" He said, sounding deeply upset and distressed.

"No one gives a shit!" Cary yelled.

"You will _die_. Your parents will _die_." Preston said in a shaky voice. "Guys this is not good information!" Preston informed us, as if we didn't know.

"Guys, am I the only one shaking! And I'm also crying!" Martin sobbed.

Not even knowing what to do, Olivia burst into heart-breaking sobs which raked her body. The tears made her head throb, and the sobs caused her to cough up more blood onto her already ruined dress. Everyone went silent and watched Olivia break down. She could barely see from the salty tears brimming in her eyes, and she felt helpless.

"God." Olivia moaned. "What do we do? We had a gun pointed at us, a fucking train exploded, I just ran through _fire, _I hurt all over, my legs are bleeding, my back is burnt, if we talk about it we all die, we all nearly died just then- twice, and I can't stop coughing up blood and-and-and" she hiccupped and started sobbing again. Cary, probably thinking she was going crazy, pulled her into a tight hug and whispered into her dirty hair. She couldn't hear what he was saying over the throbbing of her head, but she didn't care. He just kept repeating it, over and over, and it made her feel safe. Probably something along the lines of, _don't worry the mental asylum is't too far away. I'll take you tomorrow._

Olivia smiled despite the state she was in, and pulled away from Cary. "I guess we don't hate each other anymore, huh?" She joked, cracking a smile. He grinned at her, and took hold of her hand. Now that all of Olivia's thoughts were clear, she wanted badly to question him why he was being so _caring_ tonight, but shook it off. Everyone does crazy shit when they were freaking out.

"We can't tell anyone we were there. My dad can't find out I took his car." Alice said. Her words were met with a deafening silence, and she huffed. "Do you guys hear me?" she sternly, glaring at them through the rear view mirror.

"It's okay. We're not saying anything to anyone." Joe agreed on the behalf of them. "Guys!" He snapped, and Olivia looked up, surprised. Joe must be so freaked, he never snaps at anyone! "We're not saying anything." He said firmly. Then, staring at them hard, he said firmly: "Are we?"

"No." everyone answered eventually, no one especially too eager to agree.

"See? No one's going to know. No one's saying anything."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey this is chapter four. Nothing entirely interesting, but everyone needs fillers :p I've just had my haircut and got a fringe and dyed it brown, I'm deeply dissapointed that I resemble Mrs. Potato Head :( Thanks for the reviews :) This is in Cary's POV, hope you don't mind.**

**Schuyler xx**

* * *

><p>They rode on in silence, everyone too distrracted with their own thoughts. The only wound was the occassional hiccup or sniffle until Alice dropped them off at the place where she picked them up. Car helped Olivia out, and she groaned. Cary looked at her in confusion. Was she in serious pain?<p>

He started to panic mentally, and let her lean on him as they stood on the banking outside the house. Her breath was short and raggard and she seemed to have difficulty breathing, but at least blood wasn't coming up in her mouth anymore.

_If she faints_, Cary thought with amusement_, _I might get to do CPR on her.__

Once everyone had piled out of the car, Joe leant onto the side of the car where Alice was still sat. They two exchanged few words, but when Joe pulled away, they both looked guilty with regret. Alice sped off, leaving Joe staring after the car. He still stared on, even when it had long gone, and the way to snap him out of it was Charles.

"Dude, come _on._ Let's get the fuck home." Everyone shared mumbles of agreement, and Cary walked on behind Preston and Martin, helping Olivia limp their way down the street, her weight barely slowing him down.

They broke off to go on their own streets, Cary high fiving the boys, and Olivia giving each of them hugs. Cary felt a stab of jealousy, but ignored it because each time she let go she grimaced, maybe in pain, but he was hoping in disgust for two reasons. 1) She wasn't actually in pain, and 2) She was dusgusted by them and wouldn't be becoming the girlfriend of any of them, any time soon. Cary wrapped another steady arm round her waist to help her walk.

When he didn't think Olivia was looking, he kept sneaking her glances.

"Stop looking at me like that." Olivia says to him, stopping and leaning against a tree, catching her breath.

"Like what?" He asks, smirking at her. Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically, and Cary grinned, liking the way her brown eyes glittered from the reflection of the moon.

"Like, that!" She says, gesturing to his face. She scowls. "I'm not that fascinating. Yes, I know I look like crap, but I've been in a train crash, been injured, had a gun pointed at me and had a mental breakdown in the car, so I apologise if I look like shit." She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

He only shakes his head, faintly smiling, sending his dirt streaked mop-head flying. "Whatever, let's get you home."

Cary walked Olivia right up to her front door, and just stared at her for like, a full minute. She gave him a weird look, and realising that he had, indeed, been _caught_ staring, he grinned. Mentally, he cursed. He was usually careful to stare when she didn't know.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't die." He jokes at her, and Olivia rolls her eyes, sticking out her very red tongue.

"Ditto man." She winks. He laughs and runs across the yard to his house. Olivia turns away from him, and looks at her front door. Cary opened his door, and was just about to step inside when he realised Olivia hadn't even moved.

Confused, he walked back over to her house and stared up at her. Her cherry red lips- _perfect_ cherry red lips- were mouthing words that made no sense to Cary.

"No, I can't, do not open that door!" Olivia whispered to herself, a dreamy expression on her face.

"Liv?" Cary called, making her jump. She whipped around to face him, and saw he was wearing a lopsided grin. "Liv, you need to learn not to say your thoughts out loud." He teased. Olivia's heated face drained of all colour.

"Why don't you wanna go in?" He asked, confused, and he heard Olivia let out a painful sigh, and merely shrugged. Cary gave her his best glare, his eyes hardening. He _would_ pull out one of her hairs if she lied to him. She hated it when he did that.

_Then you can add it to your collection! _His inner self teased. He ignored it. He didn't have a _collection _exactly.

"My mommy…" Olivia whispered. "She-she _scares me._"

Cary looked at her, his heart breaking _for _her. In that moment, all he wanted was to protect her. He had never felt an urge so strong in his entire life. He would knock down whole armies if they were in his way of getting to her. His mind was clouded with fury.

Cary didn't know why Olivia feared her mother, but in that moment he didn't care. What sort of mother frightens their only fatherless daughter?

"I don't wanna go in!"

And Olivia burst into tears, for like, the millionth time that night. Cary wasn't sure if he should hug her or not, they weren't exactly bff's, and she was probably able to think clear thoughts now, not ones that were clouded with pain that she didn't know who she was hugging, and probably punch him.

"I'm sorry!" Olivia sniffled. "God, I'm so sappy." She tried to joke. Cary ignored his thoughts immediately rushed up to her and enveloped her in a hug, stroking the back of her hair.

"Hey, shhh, calm down Liv, it's okay, I'm here, I've got you." He said soothingly, rubbing comforting circular motions on her back, away from the burns. Olivia sobbed, and gripped his shirt tightly in a small determined fist, as if to keep him from leaving her, or maybe that was just Cary's wishful thinking. The scent of her copper hair on his cheek was like an elixir of wine and spice and perfume. It seeped deep inside him, settling on his bones like a blanket, warm and comforting, soothing all his angry thoughts.

"Hey, shhh, look it's okay." Cary soothed. "Just stay at mine tonight, alright?" He said. Olivia looked up at him with big watery eyes, and he hugged her tighter. "C'mon", he whispered, and gently led Olivia over to his house.

"Don't worry, my parents aren't in." He reassured her, seeing the look of worry as she scanned the roms in his house. "They're out visiting my gran. You can sleep on my bed, and I'll camp on the sofa in the front room."

"No." She whispered to him. "I don't want to be alone." Hiding his glee, he put in a face of understanding, he nodded and gently led her up the flight of stairs to his bedroom.

She had never been in his house before, and when she walked into his room, she gasped. Fireworks, cherry bombs, sparklers, M-80's, penny packs, firecrackers and any other sort of explosive filled his room. Cary had been dying to show Olivia his collection, and he watched her face with awe. The expression of wonderment and reverence made him smile happily, and he grinned.

"Do you like my collection?" He asked, almost shyly. Olivia looked too stunned for words, merely nodded.

"Right, well there is the shower, I'll just get you some bandages and shit, urm, you can borrow a t-shirt to wear for bed." Olivia nodded. Cary rushed about to get the things Olivia needed. He picked up a yellow short sleeved t-shirt, but thought better of it and handed her a black long-sleeved one. Cary had noticed that Olivia didn't seem very comfortable wearing short sleeves, even when there were heat waves in Lillian, which often occurred during summer vacation. Looking extremely grateful, Olivia grabbed the bandages and shirt in a bundle and hugged it closer to her chest, and hurried over to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Cary watched Olivia's retreating figure limp towards the bathroom, feeling suddenly lost as she'd left.<p>

When Cary had thought Olivia had died… he didn't know what he even felt. It was a mixture of so many emotions; he just wanted to blow himself up right then and there with one of his own fireworks.

He didn't care that the guys were all looking at him like he'd lost it; he didn't give a fucking shit. It was like his whole world had unravelled around him. First, it was panic, not knowing where the hell she was and if she was okay. Second, it was fear, what if that blood belonged to her and not Alice. And third, it was just so many emotions in him, he just wanted to explode. Pain. Grief. Sorrow. Horror. Fear. Terror. Sadness. All of it, mushed together to make this overwhelming feeling that he thought it could, no _would_ kill him.

Seeing her alive though… there was no word to describe how relieved, how_ happy_ he was. It was like the weight of the world had been resting on his shoulders, and it had finally been lifted. He couldn't go on without her. He just _wouldn't._

He had always felt like this. Ever since he met her, and he doubted Olivia even remembered. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

It was one day during summer, and the two had just started third grade. Lillian only had one elementary school, and it was split into two sides, so they weren't on the same side and they were basically strangers. At that time he had already been quick friends with Joe and Charles, and Olivia had already been dubbed an outcast since the first grade. The two had never even seen the other.

Cary had 'run away' from home again, he had packed his little backpack consisting of a spare pair of undies, a lighter, six packets of sparklers and poppers (being too young to have real explosives) and his teddy bear.

He had camped under the slide, making a bed of leaves, and was just getting out a sparkler and about to light it, when a little girl sat opposite him, watching his every move with inquisitive brown eyes. Cary, just stared at her as the first sparkler fizzled out.

"Hey. I'm Olivia." Olivia had said.

"Get out of my house." Cary had replied, annoyed that someone had come into his new home without knocking. Olivia giggled hysterically.

"This isn't your house, silly. It's underneath the slide!" Olivia said in a 'duh!' voice.

"No, it's my house, now go before I ring the police!" Cary warned. Olivia ignored him and stretched out her legs.

"Well if this is your house, where are your mommy and daddy?"

"I'm a big boy and I don't need them." Said Cary. "Mommy and daddy are stupid. I hate them. I wish they were dead!" Cary ranted, feeling angry all over again. The reason why he had run away was because they wouldn't let him go to Joe's birthday party because he was grounded. They were very disappointed when the teacher had called and had told them that he had lit a sparkler in class and threw it at Martin's vomit to see if it would ignite. Olivia stared at him in shock from those words, her wide eyes looking especially large as they weren't hidden as they usually were now. Her copper hair had been pulled up in a severe ponytail, and seemed to hurt from the roots.

"Don't say that!" Olivia scolded. "You don't know how much I miss my daddy. Don't wish them away because one day they won't be here!"

"What happened to your daddy?"

"He died. Mommy said he went to hell, but I'm sure he is in heaven. It's mommy who should go to hell." Olivia grumbled. Cary, not knowing what to do, lit another sparkler and handed it to Olivia, and her smile made Cary forget he was cross with his parents.

They then played a cute little game of families, pretending to be married and having their wedding on the slide.

It was the most trivial thing in the whole entire world. Even Cary himself couldn't understand the significance it held to him. It was just so… simple.

And from then on, he had… as Joe once said, 'admired her from a distance'. Whenever her saw her in the corridor he would stop what he was doing and stare at her, trying to memorise the things she was wearing. At that age, she wore short sleeves and exposed her skinny little arms.

As she got older, she got more and more beautiful, and Cary did everything he could to find out things about her, like ask the girls in her class what they thought of her, eavesdrop on what the boys would say about her, and one time, he even snuck into the principal's office and stole her permanent record, memorising which subjects she was best at, laughing at the pranks she'd pulled.

He would always try to convince himself to go talk to her, but whenever he got close enough to smell her, he would always chicken out and bolt out of there as fast as he could.

So, to make her talk to him, Cary made Olivia hate him.

At first, he tried to be friends when she joined the gang, but she didn't seem interested in the slightest. He'd talk to her, but each time he just felt like he was bugging her. He would try to get her to come see his firework collection, but she'd freak and punch him.

So, in the end, Cary had only one plan.

To get her to think about him, he had to make her hate him.

_But at least she thinks about me. _Cary thought weakly.

The shower turned off, so Cary quickly changed into his pyjamas, and a few minutes later, a very bedraggled Olivia limped out, her skin looking very pink and raw, dressed in a long black shirt that belonged to Cary, reaching to her mid-thigh, which was heavily bandaged. He couldn't help thinking that it looked extremely good on her.

The shirt- not the bandage.

He looked up at her face, and smiled as she yawned, stretching her body like a cat.

"Cary?" Olivia asked, pushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to be sleeping in the same bed?" She asked him seriously. Unable to help himself, he blushed furiously. He hadn't thought about that.

"I-urh, um, well, you see- the thing is, I…" Cary was cut off by Olivia, who was laughing in hysterics at his comical expression.

"You should see your face!" Olivia burst, tears of laughter coming down her eyes. "You've never looked more horrified!" She laughed. Cary gulped in embarrassment. _Horrified wouldn't be the right word. More like thrilled._

"Ha ha, so funny." He said sarcastically, and winked. "Nah, one of us will sleep on my bed, the other on that little couch." Cary said, pointing at the faded old couch in the corner. Olivia nodded, and trotted over there.

"Turn the light off and get your ass into bed." Olivia yawned, slumping down, asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Smiling to himself, Cary flicked off the switch, and settled into bed, staring at Olivia's sleeping form.

He wanted so badly to lie down next to her on the couch, to wrap his arms around her and sleep. Not do anything dirty, like in those movies. Just sleep together, in the most innocent way. But Cary was too scared. Of rejection, mostly. And she hadn't denied that she was going out with that new kid, Max Turner. He'd heard some girls talk about how hot he was during History, and of course he wanted Olivia. She was beautiful and amazing. He was so awkward and annoying and she was endlessly fascinating. He would never have a chance.

So turning his back to her, he fell asleep to the soothing sounds of her breathing.

Of her being _alive._

* * *

><p>Cary woke up to the sound of a bulldozer outside.<p>

He sat up in bed, and rapidly blinked away the sleepy haze that always came when you woke up. When he immediately didn't recognise who was in his room, he shot up from the bed so fast, that the minute he was standing, he had to sit down again as his vision had gone all funny and his ears felt like someone had stuffed them with cotton wool.

As Cary thumped back on the couch, Olivia woke up with a start and a snort, causing Cary to laugh. She looked over at him with bleary eyes, and he gave her a lopsided grin. She was surprised to see a set of white teeth without the metal invasion. When he realised what the bulldozer sounds were, he started cracking up, lauhging his head off at a confused looking Olivia.

"You snore so loud!" Cary teased, snorting in laughter. "I thought it was a bulldozer!" Olivia blushed like crazy and watched as Cary put his braces in.

"Whatever." She said, flipping him off. "At least _I_ don't fart in my sleep. It kept me up half the night!" Olivia said mockingly. Cary narrowed his eyes at her, still smirking slightly.

"_Suuure,_ because that's _exactly_ what happened, isn't it?" He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes dramatically. Ignoring Olivia's rude gesture, he got up and walked to his set of drawers, bringing out a fresh pair of clothes. Olivia used the rubber band on her wrist and tied her copper hair up into a neat bun, brushing back the loose strands with her little finger. Cary watched, fascinated, but when Olivia caught him looking, he quickly changed his expression to a smirk.

Olivia grinned at him. "Thanks for letting me stay here last night, but I should probably go."

Cary's smile dropped. "Oh, okay then." He paused. "Once you're dressed and shit you can come back over if you like. I've learnt how to make pancakes!" He said proudly, puffing out his chest. Olivia wrinkled up her freckly nose. He really wanted her to say yes. He_ had _learnt how to make them, and he wanted Liv to try them.

_But as if that would do any good_, his inner self scolded. _What do you think will happen? She'll eat the pancake and fall in love with you?_ He ignored the voice, and smiled at Olivia.

"I bet you they look real but taste like cardboard." Cary pretended to look offended, clutching his heart as if she had shot him. She rolled her eyes, and walked to Cary's dresser, pulling out some jeans.

"Mind if I borrow these?" She asks, not waiting for an answer and pulling them on.

"Sure, go ahead." Said Cary, watching her.

"Thanks." And Olivia went and hunted for a belt to keep the trousers from hanging off her skinny hips. She may be almost as tall as Cary, but that didn't mean that she wasn't as skinny as a stick and unable to wear trousers with a belt.

That's why she preferred dresses, Cary assumed. They were simple and easy to get on, but inconvenient when they went out playing on a windy day. On those days, she wore loose fitting jeans.

Yes, he had noticed. He needed a hobby other than blowing stuff up. He just couldn't help that though. That was the main reason she hated him Cary guessed, his obsession with fireworks. She was scared of fire, and being around Cary made that a million times worse.

Cary stretched and lay in his bed, watching her. Olivia straightened her back, and glared.

"Stop looking at my ass you perv." She snapped. A lazy smile creeped onto Cary's face, and he shrugged as if saying '_well where should I look then?_'

Olivia bade farewell and jogged down the stairs, taking two at a time. He heard the sharp intake of breath, and the thump of her slipping down the stairs. He held his breath. But she shut the front door carefully, making it click quietly. Leaving Cary alone in his house.

Cary slumped on his desk, and set about making more of his awesome M-80's, using three cherry bombs this time, hoping that the explosion will be bigger this time. He really didn't feel like making any more, but he did it to distract himself. It didn't work however, and his throughts drifted to a special someone with long copper coloured hair.

Cary was staring blankly at Olivia's back garden dreaming up scenarios of their wedding with thousands of fireworks explosding while they shared a magical kiss, that it took him a while before he even realised Olivia was sunbathing. She was laid down on a bright green towel, her hair fanning out behind her like a copper lion mane, round dark sun glasses and wearing a yellow and white spotty bikini. He was pleased to see that all her bandages apart from the one wrapping her thigh had been removed.

The first thing he noticed was how beautiful and peaceful she looked.

Second, was the way her arms _were not covered._

This is the first time he had seen her bare arms in over five years. He examined them from his window, and even from a distance they looked perfectly normal. Slightly on the skinny side, and laid at her sides in an awkward angle, but other than that...

Beside her was a paddling pool, filling up with the hose sticking into it.

Because he didn't have his window open, he could only faintly hear the music she was playing from the house, and he watched, a grin creeping onto his face without him even meaning to. He set about working on his M-80 then, occassionally looking up to look at Olivia. He wasn't sure if she was asleep or not, he didn't care either way, she just looked peaceful.

He was just messing about with them while thinking it was lucky they were no longer illigal in America when he noticed some disturbance in Olivia's garden out of the corner of his eye. He looked up to see her mother walking into the garden, unsteady on her high heels and shouting at Olivia. Olivia immediately jumped up and looked extremely guilty for something, tossing back her auburn hair like a spray of molten copper.

Her mom shouted at her for a couple of minutes, glowering menacingly, Olivia said nothing, just looked ashamed. The rant looked just about over when her mom lashed out.

She kicked her in the stomach with her heel, making Olivia fly back into the pool cying with pain. Her mom snapped something, and dragged Olivia out by her hair. Olivia had tears dripping down her face and was stuggling, but that made the hair pulling worse. Her mother growled something, and dragged a kicking and screaming Olivia into the house, locking the back door behind her.

Cary stared, wide-eyed, fear settling in pit of his stomach.

_Olivia!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, this is another filler. I know some of you were confused by the arms thing, but all it is, is that Cary was too far away to see, I don't want him to know about that just yet. Also, I have my french GCSE coming up next week so I guarentee the updates won't be as close for the next week. Sorry, I hate stupid french :(**

**Schuyler xx**

* * *

><p>Olivia's mother flung her against the worktop, crashing her back into the hard surface. Olivia blinked away the pain, and saw her mom glare at her furiously. Olivia at first was very confused, all she had done was sit in the garden and try to catch a tan, listening to some music…<p>

And then something in her head clicked into place._ The music…_

"Yes, Olivia." Her mom said snidely. "The blasted music_ woke me up!_ You ungrateful, little shit, I wish you were never born you little bi-" Her rant was cut off by the oddly cheerful doorbell, which didn't seem to belong with the house.

Faded dark carpets and curtains, dirty windows which have never been opened, old fashioned vintage wallpaper which was all peeling along the sides of the walls, mould creeping from the front room and into the disused rickety kitchen, everything made of wood with holes in bitten up by woodlouse and that one time they had a termites infestation. The furniture all faded velvet in horrid dark colours, and dust motes _everywhere._

Her mom blinked, and her vision cleared. For once, her mom's eyes weren't cloudy with alcohol or hate. Her walked to the front door, a large, fake smile plastered on her face.

"Hello!" She said cheerfully, opening the door. Olivia, in shock that she had been saved in what would turn out to be a very painful beating, slumped against the kitchen table, her head in her hands. She listened intently to the conversation.

"Hello Mrs. Hobson." A boy said politely. "I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if Olivia was about?" Olivia, curious, crept forwards down the hall, peering round the doorway to see who it was. Preston maybe? Martin?

"And you might be?" My mother said, impatience slipping into her voice.

"Cary Grant, ma'am." Olivia looked down at her arms in panic. Looking wildly around her for the small chance she might of dropped a jumper or a cardigan around to cover up her arms. There weren't any very fresh ones other than the one before, which had faded to a baby pink colour, the skin around it raised slightly and inflamed.

Her mother though, was already on top of things.

"Of course that will be fine." She said smoothly. "I'll just call her from the kitchen. But, I must tell you that she has just finished sunbathing, so she needs to get changed." Taking this as her cue, she walks across the hall, keeping her arms tightly pressed to her sides. Cary peeked out from behind her mom and waved, grinning.

Unable to help herself Olivia snorted and rolled her eyes, walking into her bedroom.

She quickly tied her copper hair into a sleek ponytail and undresses into a green high waisted velvet skirt and a baggy white crop top advertising her favourite band of all time, The Avengers. She threw on a black cardigan and slipped on her pumps. Pinching her cheeks to get a bit of colour in them, she emerged from her room.

As she passed her mom, she flashed her an encouraging smile. Olivia smiled back and winked. Her mom laughed, a lovely giggle, and brushed back loose strands of hair from Olivia's face.

Cary was watching from the door, looking confused. Olivia stared at him, trying to work out why, but It disappeared into the usual easy-going grin she had come to know.

"Bye mom." She said, standing on her tip-toes to kiss her mom's cheek. Then she skipped out the door, Cary in tow.

"Bye sweetie!" Olivia's mom called. "Have a nice time! Don't be back late!" Sounding like the concerned parent she _should_ be. Olivia mentally rolled her eyes, and turned round blowing her mom a kiss. She pretended to catch it and keep it in her pocket, saving it for later.

Small tears pricked in Olivia's eyes when she did that, and she quickly turned before her mom or Cary could see. That was a little cute thing they used to do when everything was normal. When daddy was still alive making pancakes for them every Saturday morning, and mommy loved her.

"So." Olivia said, turning to Cary. "Why did you come to my house? I thought I made it clear that I didn't really want to do anything with anyone today, especially you." She said none too kindly. She glanced at Cary who was trailing behind her, once again wearing that puzzled expression staring at the ground. She sighed.

"Why are you being all quiet and gay?" She snapped at him, placing her hands on her hips. Cary looked up, and furrowed his brow.

"I don't get it..." He said slowly, as if trying to make sense of something. Olivia sighed loudly.

"Stop being annoying then and tell me?" She snapped, not even knowing why he was pissing her off. _Must be his face_.

"Alright, god!" Cary snapped back, glaring at her. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, her eye-brows raised. _Well?_

"What confused me is that I was in my bedroom, and I saw you in the garden. You and your mom." Cary said, studying her face for a reaction.

She felt all her insides turn cold, and the blood drained from her face. _Shit._

"And?" She said as calmly as she could.

Cary looked irritated with her. "And, she kicked you and dragged you back to the house pulling your hair." He said angrily. Olivia stopped walking and looked at him. She tried her very best not to look like she was lying.

"What?" Olivia asked, her eyebrows raising up to her hairline almost. "Man! You're going crazy! My mom? You did see her at the door, right? We are talking about the same person?"

Cary threw his hands up and gave her a dirty look. "Fine, don't tell me. I don't care."

"Good."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"Shut up Cary, you're so childish!"

"Shut up Cary, you're so childish!" He mimicked her, and she massaged her temples.

"Cary, fuck off and blow something up. I am not in the mood." Olivia said harshly, and with that she twirled away from him, stomping unnecessarily. He stared after her, frustrated.

"Olivia! WAIT!" He called. She ignored him. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone? All he ever did was piss her off!

"Liv. Liv. Liv. Liv. Liv. Liv." He called as he caught up. Once he was close enough, he grabbed her shoulder and spun her round, forcing her to look at him.

"Cary go away you have no idea how annoying you are!" He looked hurt at this, and Olivia felt the sudden urge to apologize. She ignored it, and glared at the blonde-headed boy.

"I can't pretend I know what's going on, because I don't. All that I know is last night you were scared of her, and today I saw her hurting you. Maybe my imagination, but whatever. but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here. Like that annoying bug on your car windshield that just will never go away." He told her seriously, causing Olivia to grin.

"Thanks shortie, but I'm fine."

"I'm taller than you!" He protested, and she stuck her tongue out.

"By like, a centimeter. Doesn't count."

"Does too!"

"Hey guys!" Cary and Olivia both jumped at the sound of Preston behind them. Olivia went up and hugged him, like always, and Cary mock punched him. It actually hurt him though and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Well I was going to invite you Cary, but not now! You big bully!" Preston faked sobbed, using his tears as an advantage. Cary immediately stopped laughing and looked up with interest.

"Invited? To what?"

"I was going to have a sleepover tonight. To, you know, discuss...things." He said, giving the both of them knowing looks. (A/N I know this doesn't happen in the movie. It does for me.)

"Am I invited?" Olivia asked hopefully. She hadn't had a sleepover in ages, and she needed something to take her mind of everything.

Preston nodded. "Yeah 'course. Just, pretend you're a lesbian to my mom. She thinks you might take advantage of us." He said, one hundred percent serious. Cary laughed so hard tears came out of his eyes and Olivia's mouth dropped. _Lesbian?_

"What? Hell _no_!"

"Yes, you have to!" Cary said gleefully. She glared at him venomously. "I triple donkey dare you! Padlock! You can't say no!"

"It's true." Preston adds, grinning at Olivia's horrified facial expression. "You can't not accept."

"I hate you." Olivia mumbled to them both, sending them looks of pure hate. "You told her I was gay?" She asked Preston, referring to his mother.

He nodded and she groaned, rubbing a hand over her face.

"It's okay though Liv." Cary said cheerfully, draping an arm round her shoulder and pinning her to his side. "I still love you no matter what sexuality. Whether your lesbian, straight or bi, you'll always have that special place in my heart."

"Shut up right now Cary before I rip your heart out and laugh while you eat it."

He laughed at this and hugged her. She tried to wriggle from his grasp, thumping on his chest. When he refused to let go, she sighed and endured the hug.

"I'm not a lesbian." She mumbled into his chest, and she could feel his laughter reverberate on his chest.

* * *

><p>Olivia was the last one to arrive. When she had gotten home, her mother had passed out into a drunken stupor. Knowing better than wake her up, she left her mom a little note telling her where she'd be, and that there was a bowl of pasta she'd made sitting in the fridge. All her mom had to do was re-heat it when she was hungry.<p>

She packed spare clothes for the next day, her pajamas of yellow summer shorts and a navy long sleeved shirt, a flashlight, twix's and a roll of bandages.

At every single sleepover she had attended with the boys, one person had got injured. She didn't think tonight would be any different.

She knocked on the door, and it was opened by a very cheerful looking older girly version of Preston. His mom.

"Hi, I'm Olivia." She said politely, holding out a hand for his mom to shake. Instead, she ignored the hand and pulled Olivia into a hug.

"Hello sweetie! So lovely to meet you! Preston has said so much about you. And I just want you to know, coming out to your friends is so brave!" She trilled. Olivia's face flamed in mortification and mumbled something, wanting to get away. She saw from behind Preston's mom Charles and Martin, snickering at her. Olivia went even redder, and made a mental promise to beat the shit out of Preston.

She followed to boys to Preston's room, and saw they were all there. Joe was sat on the desk chair, spinning round and eating twizzlers, Preston was reading a comic and trying very hard not to meet Olivia's furious gaze, Martin and Charles flopped on the bed, and Cary was sat in the wardrobe playing with his lighter. They were all dressed ready for bed.

"Hey lezzy!" He said, grinning in Olivia's direction. She slumped on the floor, and glared at every single one of them.

"I hate you all. I am not, and I repeat, am not a lesbian!"

"God Olivia shut up! We hate liars!" Charles snorted as Joe cracked up.

"Whatever." She mumbled, and slipped off to the bathroom to put on her pajamas.

* * *

><p>Cary looked up from the brilliant flame, and saw Olivia slip out of the room with a bundle of clothes in her hands.<p>

_It was a shame, I really liked what she was wearing today. The green skirt looked lovely with her hair_, he thought happily.

He loved winding her up, and now that he had good material, he wasn't going to let the opportunity pass. But, each time he thought of her as gay, his heart panged. If she truly was, then he had no chance, at all!

Olivia came back in the room, wearing long grey woolly socks that went above her knees, light and dark yellow pajama shorts, bandage wrapped round her upper thigh and a navy long sleeved shirt. She slumped against the door, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Look, Lesbo Liv is back!" Cary teased, causing all the lads to crack up with laughter. Olivia's face heated up, a blush forming on her ivory skin. She looked at the ground and picked the carpet with her fingers.

"Hey Preston, get the fuck off my camera!"

"My_ dad's _camera." Joe corrected.

"Shut up."

"Hey guys guess what!" Cary said excitedly. They all ignored him so he turned to Olivia. "I made another M-80! Now I have six! D'you, d'you wanna see it?" He asked her eagerly, hoping she would say yes. She wrinkled up her freckled nose.

"Fuck no Cary, get away from me!" Martin laughed at Cary, so he got his shoe and threw it at his head. Joe laughed and threw a twizzler at him too, causing them all to laugh at his comical expression.

"Stop throwing things at me!" He whined. "It's not nice! I'm being traumatized." He moaned, and wiggled across the bed as Charles tried to grab his feet.

"Awh, Smartin is being traumatized!" Cary teased, laughing and helping Charles pull him off the bed, Martin squealing and shrieking like a little girl.

"Where are we sleeping?" Olivia said suddenly, looking up.

"In the lounge." Preston said, getting up. "The sleeping bags are already down there, and I made a list of things for us all to do!" He said happily.

Joe wrinkled his nose. "You're so weird, who makes a list?" He snorts, and Charles joins in laughing. Cary walks forwards and snatches the list from Preston's hands, ignoring his weak protests.

_1) __Watch scary movie_

_2) __Make Martin throw up_

_3) __Get Cary to do a firework display_

_4) __Someone try to beat Olivia in a race_

_5) __Hide and seek_

_6) __Dares_

Cary snorted in laughter, laughing at the little scrawny writing. "You're so lame!"

"Shut up chompers!"

"Hey don't call me that or I'll bite you!"

"Shut up! God!" Charles snapped.

"Guys..." Olivia said in a small voice. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her. Cary didn't though, considering his activity was already staring at her. Olivia picked at her lip with her teeth worryingly.

"Guys, what do we do?" She asked quietly. Immediately, Charles was on the defense.

"God I don't know just shut up about it, alright! I don't want to die, so shut the fuck up!"

"Sorry." She mumbled and Cary looked at her with surprise. She never apologised. Like, ever. Joe, noticing this too, moved over to her, putting an arm round her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he stroked her hair comfortingly.

A wave of jealousy hit Cary. He would never be able to do that. Ever.

"Let's go watch the movie." Martin said into the awkward silence. This, immediately perked Olivia up.

"Popcorn?" She half shouted, already giddy. Preston sighed.

"Yeah, I bought like seven bags."

Olivia jumped up happily. "Yay! Let's go eat them!" She said, rushing out the door and down the stairs, no doubt wanting to grab the first 5 bags for herself.

"How about let's try eat them while Olivia scoff's it all down her throat." Martin grumbles. "She never shares." Cary grinned at this, popcorn was Olivia's favourite food.

They all settled to watch this new scary movie that had come out recently. Cary was wedged between Olivia and Joe. Joe kept on sneaking Cary glances, raising his eyebrows at Olivia. Cary blushed and tried to concentrate on the film, but found he was unable to.

All of his senses seemed to be heightened. He felt hot all over, but whenever Olivia fidgeted and brushed against him, he almost burned. He could smell her salty breath from the popcorn, and could smell her shampoo, which curiously smelt of vanilla and rain- if that was even possible. He loved it, and held his breath for longer than he should, so he could take deeper breaths to inhale it.

_I am officially a freak._

Half way through, Olivia nodded off to sleep, and without even realising she fell onto Cary's lap. He stared down at her in shock.

"Guys..." He whispered, afraid of waking her up. "What do I do?" Preston glanced over and paused the movie, causing Charles to groan.

"Put it back on shit-head! I'm getting good movie ideas! I'm brain-storming!"

"Shhhh!" Cary whispered, pointing at Olivia's peaceful snoozing body. He looked down at her, a faint smile on his face.

_God, she's beautiful._

Cary looked up to find the others watching him closely. He went red, and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"What?" Joe smirked at him.

"You like her don't you?" He said bluntly. If it were possible, Cary turned a deeper shade of red.

"I-I, I do-don't know wha-t you mean?" He stuttered, avoiding all their gazes.

Preston and Martin giggled and made fake kissing noises towards Cary. He flipped them off, getting more embarrassed by the second.

"God, shir-head! Shut up! You'll wake up the ugly duckling!"

Almost automatically Cary glared at Charles and snapped, "She's not ugly!" Charles grinned even wider.

"Why didn't you tell us dude!"

"Because you'd make fun of me!"

Joe grinned at him. "Yeah, we would." He admitted. Cary blanched.

"Don't you _dare_ tell her, or I will hunt you down and-"

"And what?" Charles butted in, smirking. "Sit on us? Oooh, I'm so scared!" He laughed, putting on a fake girly voice and waving his hands in the air. Joe laughed next to Cary, and Cary scowled.

"Joe likes Alice!" Cary blurted, glaring at Joe. Joe went even redder than Cary but didn't deny it, and the boys laughed at him, except for Charles who looked slightly angry.

"Joe and Alice, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Preston and Martin sang between a fitful of giggles. Joe scowled at Cary.

"You're all forgetting Cary!" He said, smirking at Cary's face. "Cary and his undying love for our best friend!"

"Shut _up!_" Cary growled. "I can't help it!" He moaned. "She's just so-so" He gestured to her sleeping form, desperately trying to come up with a word to describe why he liked her so much.

"Shame Olivia's a lesbian and all." Preston said mockingly, giving Cary a wink. Cary rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, a real shame isn't it." His voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Why do you say it like that?" Joe asks.

Cary shrugged. "Because, she's straight- we all know that- and I still don't have a chance." Cary sighs with self pity. "She hates me."

"Do you just, like fancy her?" Preston asked, curious.

"Or _love?_" Martin asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Cary blushed and shrugged.

"I've liked her for the better part of my life." Sneaking Joe a smirk, he added, "I've admired her from a distance, and then when we all became friends she didn't seem to want to be friends with me. But, it's okay. Because I love her, and nothing will change that." He sighed, looking at all the boys dumbfounded expressions. But before anyone could reply, Olivia stirred in her sleep, and nuzzled her face into Cary.

"How do you like your eggs in the morning?" She asked sleepily, looking up at him bleary eyed.

Confused, Cary looked down at her. "Er, what?"

Olivia yawned and shook her head. "I said; how do you like your eggs in the morning?"

"Why?"

"I had a dream you liked them scrambled. Do you?" She asked, looking up at him and blinking away all the sleepiness. The other boys were quiet, watching this exchange between the two.

Cary grinned at her. "Yeah I do!" He said happily. "What was your dream about?" He asked, curious. He was thrilled! She had been _DREAMING_of him!

"I dreamt that I had this house, it was a purple house, and you lived there too. There were like 3 children and I was cooking you breakfast of scrambled eggs because you said you liked them best." She stopped to think for a bit. "I think the children were mine, and we were married." Olivia said thoughtfully.

Charles and Joe exchanged a glance, raising their eyebrows. But, before Cary could interpret it, Preston was starting the movie again. Charles groaned.

"No, I can't be bothered anymore. It depresses me." He said glumly. Preston looked over at Cary, smiling. Cary knew what he had to do.

He had arrived earlier to set up a firework display. He had been saving all his prettiest and most amazing fireworks for a time when Olivia would finally stand and watch them. Tonight was the first time he would ever set off a firework _for_ her, and even though she didn't know it, this was a pretty big thing for Cary. He didn't just dedicate fireworks to anyone.

Preston's older brother was going to light them, so the six of them ran up into Preston's room and they all clambered out the window to sit on the roof. Cary held Olivia's arm steady as she crawled along the shingles. He wished there was somewhere else to watch them as he was terrified of her falling down to her certain death, but no where else had such a lovely view.

"Why are we up here?" Olivia asked finally. They had all agreed not to tell her, because they knew she wouldn't come.

Cary ignored her, and settled beside her, feeling the heat radiate off her like the sun.

"Cary, why the hell are we up here?" She whispered to him.

Cary smirked, draping an arm round her shoulder. She squealed with laughter and tried to pull away, but he held on tighter.

"Cary." Olivia sighed dramatically. "I know you love me and all," she teased, and all the guys looked at him, making him blush. He was glad it was dark, "but dude, you're crushing me!"

Cary's heart kicked up almost imediately, and he was thrilled that she didn't continue to pull away. Olivia opened her mouth to say something, when suddenly, a sparkling light rose up towards the sky and a loud, _POP!_ rang through the air.

Olivia's mouth made a silent 'O' shape, and her eyes widened. "Wow..." She breathed.

The fireworks burst up in the sky, flashin bright red and bright green. But it's Olivia's face that Cary is staring at. The way she's looking from one to the other, her breath catching every time one birsts. It's always that same, crooked grin forming on her lips. He doubts she even realises she's smiling up at the sky, looking so child-like, so wonderstruck...

"Whoa..." Olivia gasped. Her finger went yp as she pointed to the newest firework, shooting all different colours. "Cary! Did you see that one!"

He grinned down at her as he nodded. "Yeah...I did..."

She sighed, her eyes wide with excitement. "Wow, this is..._amazing_."

_God, she'd so beautiful. I don't even care that the other boys can see me openly staring. She is beautiful and I don't want to miss any of it, especially right now. With her eyebrows up to practically her hairline, grinning like mad. I love her smile, she always has such amazing ones. It's always the same, always genuine, even if she doesnt grin around me very often. Every time she smiles, it always reaches her eyes. Her beautiful, chocolate brown eyes that look gold when she stares straight into the sun, and much more like dark chocolate in the winter, in a good mood they sparkle, and when she's down they dull out. I love that about her, how her emotions are so easy to read from her eyes. I love the way her hair manages to look like she just rolled out of bed even when she tries to brush it and the fact she doesn't care for make-up. But what I love about her at this very moment is the feeling she's creating inside my chest. The way I can't hlep but smile at the light that's shining in her beautiful eyes as she stares at the sky._

Olivia's breath caught again and her smile widened even further, breaking Cary out of his thoughts. She glances sideways at him, her freckles wrinkling up along with her nose.

"Cary, you're not even watching them!" She prostested. Cary grinned at her.

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not, you're looking at me weirdly again!" She said, and she suddenly looked self conscious. Another firework went off, and she looked up at the sky once more.

"They're so beautiful..."

"So are you." Cary said under his breath, so quietly that his own ears didn't catch it. He didn't want to risk Olivia knowing his feelings.

His true feelings, which he only just realised tonight.

_I love her._


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, I failed my french... oh well. Didn't need it anyway. Lots of tension and stuff in this one. Hope you like it, its short so I'm sorry! Next upload will be tonight or tomorrow yay! :)**

**Shuyler xx**

* * *

><p>Olivia stared at the bright flashing lights above her, and nothing seemed more perfect. She had wasted her entire life being afraid of fireworks…but Cary is on to something. Just something about the way they fly up into the sky and then explode into a million different coloured diamonds that light up the sky. It was beautiful, and she had never felt more happy. Just the way they lit up the dark night which engulfs everything, didn't make her life seem so bad. If that made sense.<p>

She could feel Cary staring at her, and his arm felt heavy on her shoulder. _Probably making sure you don't run away and fall off the roof._ She thought bitterly, souring her good mood.

"What?" Cary asked, looking at Olivia in confusion. _Shit._

Olivia put on her practiced fake smile. "Why are you saying what?"

"You said something."

"No I didn't." She lied smoothly. Cary rolled his eyes, mouthing 'whatever'. Olivia could hear the gasps of awe from the other boys and watched in wonderment as the final gold firework lit up the sky like a thousand candles. Olivia's insides filled with happiness once more, she had never in her whole entire life seen anything as beautiful and deadly. She was still terrified, but it was a sort of fear that came alongside apprehension and wonder. She could see why Cary just loved them so much. There was nothing like it.

"Did you like it?" Cary asked her, his voice hushed and unstable as her neared his mouth ever closer to her ear. Olivia felt his hot breath tickle her ear, and obviously not used to Cary acting like this jerked away from him, shoving his arm off her shoulder and scrambling back.

Seeing Cary's hurt expression, she scowled. "Yeah, it was nice. Thanks." Olivia said, almost harshly. Cary opened his mouth, his eyes angry- no doubt ready to start another argument when Joe butted in.

"Yeah Cary, it was amazing. So good! Thanks man!"

"Ye-ye-ah it was mint! Let's go inside." Charles said hastily, noticing the tension between Olivia and Cary. He had his hands balled up in fists, but Olivia gave off the impression she was completely calm. She smoothed the wrinkles on her dark and light yellow stripy shorts and re-did her hair.

"Fine." He snapped. Olivia got up and thumped into Cary's side, making him stumble. He glared after her, and stomped in her wake. Just to annoy him, Olivia went slower than usual, and made sure to waggle her butt while she walked. She could hear him sigh in annoyance and frustration, and she shoved her to make her walk quicker. He didn't help her back through the window, instead he helped push her roughly into it, banging her head on the frame.

_I can't believe that infuriating boy!_ Olivia mentally screamed at him. _I hate you, you fucking shit head. You ruin _everything! She stumbled over some discared clothes, and glared as Cary slipped through the window gracefully.

Cary whipped round to see Olivia's fake mocking smile plastered on her face. He glared at her.

"No. _You _ruin everything Olivia." He snapped, Olivia realising she said her thoughts aloud once more, dropped her smile. "I don't ruin everything. You do." The other boys who had clambered from the roof stood to watch the two.

"Really?" Olivia asked, feigning surprise. "And how did you come to that conclusion?" She asked sarcastically, placing her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow at him. Cary gulped, his anger vanishing for a millisecond, before it was back.

"Well it was just us boys until you decided to come and fuck it up, wasn't it? Oh yes, also we nearly got caught because we had to drag you to the car because you were half dead. You always steal the popcorn. You're a complete bitch to me. You have a boyfriend. You've ruined this sleepover. And I wish I never laid eyes on you." Cary yelled into the deafening silence. Olivia just stood there, tears welling up in her eyes. She blinked them away quickly, hating to show weakness. Olivia- the amazing ever-present actress- smirked.

"Well then Cary, it seems you are a little bit upset. You go lie down, and go to sleep, ok?" She said, patronisingly. "When you wake up, I'll be gone and it will all be such a nasty little dream." And she then turned round and skipped out the door, collecting her bag of stuff first.

Cary was silent as he watched her go, and Charles, Preston, Joe and Martin glared at him.

"Olivia- don't leave!" Joe tried, but she pretended she didn't hear him. Once when she had all her stuff, she turned round, her face stone hard and emotionless.

"Don't worry Cary. I fucking hate you too. I never want to see you again, and don't you even _dare_ come to my house again. You mean nothing to me, so fuck you." And Olivia turned round and walked away, not looking back once. "Oh, and I don't have a boyfriend." She threw over her shoulder.

She felt hurt. The worst kind of hurt she'd ever felt. Not the grief when her father had died, and not the hurt of when her mother abuses her, when the blade sinks into her arm. It was the sort of hurt when you feel your heart breaking into a million tiny pieces, so microscopic that you know they will never ever be put back together again.

But what hurt the most, was the way Cary had stared at Olivia when she said she hated him too. He looked completely indifferent, and that hurt more than anything. He didn't care about her, not at all. Olivia thudded down the stairs and threw open the front door, slamming it behind her. Olivia ran down the street in her pyjamas, not knowing really where to go.

And so, as the rain started to fall, Olivia walked and let her tears dribble down her face, mixing in with the rain.

She didn't go home though. She went to the slide where she first met Cary, and crawled under there, shivering in her stripy shorts and long top. She curled up in a ball, folding in on herself, and cried- just wanting to disappear.

Cary was right. She did ruin everything.

* * *

><p>"Cary, go. NOW!" Charles shouted at him as he heard the front door slam. But Cary barely heard him, he just stood where he was, staring at the space where Olivia once was. He replayed it back in his mind, watching how she scoffed and didn't seem effected by his words at all, smirking, mocking. It was all his fault.<p>

"I can't believe I said that." Cary said numbly, not lifting his gaze.

"Then go get her!" Charles shouted, pushing Cary forward like a rag doll. He stumbled forward and tripped, falling on the ground. Slowly, he raised his head to watch his best friends. Charles looked furious, Preston looked upset, Martin looked annoyed and Joe…Joe just gazed at Cary sadly, disappointed and ashamed.

"Why did I say that?" Cary moaned, burying his head in his hands to get away from the boys accusing looks. "Why did I say that? Why!" He said into his hands, his voice muffled. He loved her, and he'd lied to her face that he hated her, just because she flinched when he got too close for her liking.

He had driven her away, and now there was no way Olivia would ever want to be with him. She hated him, she had made that very clear… and it was all Cary's fault.

"No, I can't believe it! I'm such a jerk!"

"I know man." Preston said, nodding solemnly.

"Just shut up." Preston held his arms up in mock surrender. "I'm such a jerk, she's going to hate me for the rest of her life! Joe!" Joe looked up warily at Cary's broken face. "Your smart! Why did I say that?" He half moaned, half demanded.

Joe looked extremely uncomfortable. "Erm, you were angry at her rejection?" He asked, almost to himself.

"But she didn't reject him. She just, like, pulled away." Charles said.

"Sounds like rejection to me!" Martin chirps. They all turned to glare at him.

"Shut up!" All four said in unison. Martin retreated to the bed, looking slightly put out. Before he could think of a witty comeback however, there was a knock on Preston's bedroom door.

They all froze, one name whistling through their heads. Cary leaped up from his foetal position on the ground and yanked the door open, an apology already on his lips when Preston's mom walked in, looking worried.

"Why did your nice friend Olivia go? She seemed very upset." She asked worriedly, sending a glance of warning in Preston's direction.

"It wasn't me!" He shouted, eyes wide. "It was Cary!" Cary shot Preston a death glare, promising himself that he would kill him when he next got the chance. Preferably a nice painful one, with lots of blood and involving a firework up his butt.

"Oh deary me. What did you do?" Preston's mom asked in a slightly disapproving tone, looking down on Cary as if disappointed in him. "She's had it hard, you know." She said with pity, walking over to sit on the bed.

"What do you mean?" Charles asks, curious.

"Well, don't you know?" She asked, shocked. All boys shook their heads and Preston's mom look put out. "Well, you're her best friends, why wouldn't she tell you?" She asked herself, and then shook her head, scattering her thoughts. "No matter, I'll tell you. It might make you realise not everyone has it as good as you." She said sternly, sending a very pointed look at a guilty looking Cary. Cary was curious too, he needed to know more about her. Why she seemed so… damaged. What had happened in Olivia's life that was bad? Maybe Cary could use it to show he understood, and then say he loved her.

"Well, her father died you know. In a factory explosion. Olivia saw it all, bless her. Her and her mom were walking to meet him in the factory as it was Olivia's birthday. Birthday lunch and all that. But when they got within seeing it, the whole thing went up in flames. He was the only fatality." She said sadly. "And she's got it even harder now. Her mom is a drunk, and I bet all my good jewellery she doesn't feed that kid, she's as skinny as a stick!"

Cary thought back to when he saw Olivia in the garden, and her mom wobbling in, unstable on her heels. _Drunk._

"She has no friends, except for you and she's just come out to being gay! The poor little petal." Preston's mom said sadly. Her head then snapped up, and met Cary's gaze.

"I also see her wandering the streets at night." She says softly. "She just… wanders. Crying, most of the time. She just walks in this horrible white dress stained with something I can only describe as blood, she's freezing- no jumper, nothing." Everyone is quiet, watching Preston's mom- whose name is Cheryl- who had tears welling up in her eyes. "No jacket on. One night- I..I saw her under the street lamp." She chokes. "The light reflected off her... her _scars._"

"Scars, what scars?" Joe said worriedly, the first one to speak since Olivia's life story began. Cary felt numb. That was why she never wore short sleeves, why she knew so much about first aid. Cary was right. She was damaged.

When Cary tried to speak, it came out in a hoarse whisper, and he just felt like rushing to the girl of his dreams and fixing everything. But he couldn't. No way. She hated him, and he made her life infinitely worse.

"I… I think Olivia," Cary says, his voice cracking, "I think she self-harms."

* * *

><p>Olivia woke up, startled. Her neck was stiff from sleeping at an awkward angle, her clothes and hair were damp, and her face was still soaking wet.<p>

"Great." Olivia mumbled to herself. "I cry in my sleep now too. What ever will be next?" She said sarcastically. "Talking to myself? Check." She looked around her, and saw it was still dark. Olivia checked her human body clock, and realised it felt sort of around 5 in the morning. This was the time she usually snuck back into the house before her mom found out she'd left. But what's the point. She knows Olivia is at a sleepover.

Olivia yawned, and stretched her body like a cat. Then, warily checking there weren't any 5 o'clock joggers jogging by, she quickly got changed into her spare set of clothes. A black tea dress with yellow flowers and a white lace collar, military boots, laddered tights and a burgundy long cardigan. She ran her fingers through her hair, and got it to cover up her face, using the reflection in the metal slide as a guide.

She then set off toward her house to drop off her crap, thinking of anything other than Cary. She'd walked half a block before someone called her name, causing her to flinch and stop.

_Why oh why?_ She mentally cursed, she flipped the switch on her smile, and turned round to see the gorgeous face of a very very handsome boy.

"Hi Max." Olivia said, waving at him as he jogged towards her.

"Hey Oliv!" He said cheerfully as he got to her, stopping about a metre away from her. "I thought it was you." He said, grinning slightly.

Olivia's heart fluttered when he smiled, because man, he was _hot_. He had that whole surfer dude thing going for him, with that sandy brown wind-swept hair, and the tanned body. Gorgeous green eyes and teeth so white and perfect they looked as if they belonged to a toothpaste commercial.

Another thing that made him almost irresistible to the female population was that the guy was so sweet and funny, it took an iron lady to turn him down.

"So what are you doing out this early in the morning?"

"Just, you know… walking." Olivia said as absent mindedly as she could.

"Mind if I join?" Max asks, sending Olivia his 100 watt smile. Despite knowing where this conversation would turn to, she found herself smiling and nodding. She mentally punched herself. _I have the willpower of a fat man in a pie eating contest._ She mentally growled. She turned to watch Max's face, and was pleased to see it didn't look any different. So she hadn't said it out loud.

"So Oliv."

"So Max."

"What have you been doing this summer?"

"Oh you know, the usual." Olivia said. "Making movies and such."

"Really? That's awesome! I've always wanted to make a movie." Max said, happily, looking at Olivia hopefully.

"You should!" Olivia said enthusiastically. "It's a lot of fun."

"Would you make one with me?" Max asked, almost shyly. Olivia stopped to study him, and he shuffled under her penetrating gaze. "Or, you know, not. That's cool too!" He said hurriedly, a blush rising on his cheeks. Olivia smiled at him.

"Sure, ok." She said simply. Max looked at her this time, and grinned.

"So Oliv… have you thought more about what I asked?" Max said in a confident voice. Olivia sighed and watched his hands twitch. _He's nervous._

This made Olivia like him more, as he seemed more like a human than an untouchable sex god.

"I have." Olivia said slowly. "But what I don't get, is why me? You have girls throwing themselves at you, and you're not even in the same grade as me, you could do so much better." Olivia said truthfully. Max was in the grade above Olivia, and girls from all kinds of grades were jumping at a chance to be Max's girlfriend.

Max shakes his head, smiling slightly. "I don't want any of them. I want you." He said simply, and before Olivia could do anything like run home to brush her teeth, Max pressed his lips to Olivia's.

It wasn't magical, like Olivia expected her first kiss to be. It felt wrong. Like what Olivia was doing was wrong. But she didn't pull away for fear of hurting Max's feelings, and she concentrated on breathing through her nose because she couldn't get up for breath. She couldn't even think about what the kiss made her feel, because scarily, all she could think about was a certain boy with un-perfect teeth, messy hair and blue eyes.

A certain someone who now hates her guts. _I wish I were here with him._ Oliivia thought glumly, not at all frightened she might say it out loud as her mouth was somewhat occupied. She didn't even know why she wanted Cary. Maybe she felt like punching someone.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Max pulled away.

Both of them were breathing hard, and Max's eyes were a gorgeous sparkling green, making her even more light headed. Someone as hot as him, and someone as ugly as her? Where was the logic in that?

"That was… amazing." Max breathed, staring at Olivia in wonder. Olivia smiled, and pecked him on the lips so she didn't have to agree. Max grinned. "Will you be my girlfriend now?"

_Shit._

Olivia just smiled and raked her brain for an answer. _Shit shit shit._

"Olivia? I did say that out loud right? I didn't just think it?" Max said worryingly, flicking his hair to the side. Olivia went along with it.

"Did you say what?" She asked slowly, stalling for time to think, or for someone to come racing in and save her. _Wouldn't you just _love_ it if it was Cary that came to save you._ Olivia's internal self teased. Was that why she didn't want to say yes to Max? Was that why she was so hurt from Cary?

Was that why she couldn't stop thinking about him?

"Olivia. Will you go out with me?" Max asked hopefully, staring at her with his green eyes. Not the blue eyes that she wanted. But she found herself smiling, stretching her lips into a grin and saying:

"I'd love to!" She lied.


	7. Chapter 7

**Longest chapter yet! Woot! Raise the roof ahah:p hope you like this guys, and also I apologise if you don't, but I want to make it my way... so don't pressure me to do stuff that I don't want being put into it**

**Schuyler xx**

* * *

><p>Cary stared out of his window in the front room. His parents had called him home as they had got in that morning. They were spending 'quality time' watching baseball together on the Tv. Normally Cary would have loved it, he never gets chance to spend quality time with them due to them working, but today he was just watching Olivia's house, waiting for her to come out or go inside or something. He had knocked on his way home, but no one was in.<p>

He sighed dramatically, and his mother huffed in annoyance.

"Well Cary, if you don't want to spend time with us, go to that girl you've been obsessing over for the past few months." She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. His dad sat up straighter.

"What girl?" He asked, staring at Cary. Cary blushed madly and glared at his mom.

"Yeah mom, what girl?"

His mom winked at Cary and smiled at his father. "Oh you know! That girl… with the ginger hair and horrible amount of freckles, looks like she has anorexia?"

"Oh yes, the one that Cary takes pictures of. You know son, I don't want to keep having to buy new film for my camera."

"Yes her!" His mom squealed.

Cary's face was beet red, and he felt hot all over. He buried his face in his hands. _This is so embarrassing._ He looks up at his parents.

"She has copper coloured hair actually, and she doesn't have too many freckles! And she's just slim. And I do _not_ waste film on her." Cary yelled at his parents, breathing hard. Some people just didn't understand. If they say anything more bad about her, he would punch the both of them.

His mom smiled at him, and rushed over to Cary lifting him up in a tight hug. "Aw! My baby has his first crush! And she's not obsessed with fire either! Troy, she might be a good influence on him!" His mom said to his father.

"What? Harley we've talked about this! He is not, and Cary listen because this is about you, he is not having a girlfriend!" He faced Cary, his blue eyes stern. "Ever."

Cary stared at the ground embarrassed. This was not something he wanted to talk about. Not now, not ever. But never having a girlfriend?

"What? Do you want me to die alone?" Cary asked. His mom and dad shared a glance.

"Of course not sweetie!" His mom soothed, stroking his hair. "But we don't want you having a girlfriend just yet. You're too young."

"Especially not _that_ girl." His dad mumbled, his brow creasing. This time, his mom and Cary were confused.

"Troy? What do you mean?"

"I mean that he's definitely not going out with Jackie Hobson's daughter. End of discussion." It wasn't like Cary was surprised. His father had hated Olivia's mom ever since they first met. It started with a horrible debate at the pub and ended with Olivia's mom accusing his dad of trying to rape her. All lies of course, and nobody believed Mrs. Hobson anyway. And Olivia hated him more than usual now, so it wasn't like she was jumping at the chance to become Mrs. Cary Grant.

"I can still be friends with her?" He asked hopefully, considering the fact that Olivia would probably never forgive him anyway.

"Of course sweetie!" His mom trilled. "Now go get your older brother, if you won't watch Tv with us, he will."

And then, who other than Cary's older brother came into the room.

"Oooh, Cary's in love!" Carl teased, laughing at Cary's horrified expression.

"Mom! He was snooping!"

"Carl, don't tease your brother." Cary's mom scolded the older looking Cary. They were almost exact replicas. Cary looked exactly like Carl did at his age, so Cary was just counting down the days until he became a hottie like his older brother. Carl had Cary's blue eyes and blonde hair, but the blue becomes more sparkly as he got older. Nice and tall. His blonde hair got wavier, and his face got broader. A six-pack and strong cheek bones, and once Cary's braces were finished with- hopefully he'd have nice teeth like his brother too.

"Or what?" Carl inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Or you'll be doing the dirty dishes and laundry for the next week. I'll tell the maid not to come by and do it. Would you like that?"

"No ma'am." Carl mock saluted, and took the chair that was previously occupied by Cary. Cary went into the hall and slipped on his sneakers.

"Bye mom. Bye dad." He yelled as he left the house.

"Have a nice time sweetie!"

Cary shut the door, and tightened his jacket around him as the bitter wind bit into his skin. He jogged up to Olivia's house and was about to knock- yeah even though she told him to never go to her house again, he needed to talk to her- when he heard giggling from across the road. He turned, and watched as Olivia, looking beautiful in a dress and boots, giggled and linked arms with the one and only Max Turner. He looked at her and said something, she smiled and went on her tiptoes and _kissed him!_

Cary just stared at her. His face blank as he watched the couple locking lips. His face portrayed no emotion, but inside he felt everything. Jealousy. Hatred. Annoyance. Despair. Envy.

He envied Turner.

_That should be me._

Olivia had lied. She did have a boyfriend. No wonder she freaked out when he got so close. He should feel angry. At her. At Max. But, watching the couple break apart and automatically hold hands again, he just felt like curling up in a ball and crying. He watched as Olivia was lead to her house by Max, watching the girl he was in love with, fall for someone else.

He heard a crack, and felt his heart break.

"Cary?" Olivia asked, surprised, when she finally noticed him standing outside her door. "What on earth are you doing here?" She asked. She didn't seem angry, and Cary hoped that he was forgiven. Olivia asked, as if baffled. "I thought you hated me? Why are you at my house?"

Cary's eyes flitted over to Max who didn't seem to notice he was there. He was staring at the beauty next to him as if he was the luckiest guy in the world. _He is._ Cary thought sourly.

"Um, can I talk to you? Alone?"

"Oh right, okay. Max, I'll call you later ok?" Olivia said to him, Max nodded and grinned, pecked her on the lips and jogged down the street to his own house. "So what's up?" Olivia said, popping the 'p'.

"Max Turner, huh?" Cary asked, trying very hard to keep his voice controlled and steady. He smiled slightly when it came out quite cocky.

"Yeah, well we just got talking this morning, and had this wonderful kiss and all… so we're together now." Olivia stared at Cary, as if watching and waiting for a reaction. Cary kept his smirk. "As in, I'm his girlfriend." Cary felt the remains of his heart splinter into nothing as he stared at Olivia.

_Can't you see! _He wanted to scream at her. _I love you! _But instead he said: "Well, I'm happy for you." He said, and realised with a start that he wasn't lying. He was happy for her. If she was happy, he was happy.

Olivia looked slightly disappointed but that might have been Cary's imagination. Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, and Cary couldn't help but stare at them. Did anyone else know? Would Olivia of gotten help? Would she tell him about it?

Probably not. Cary just wished he could start everything with Olivia all over again. Back to the funeral, he wished he hadn't come across as cocky as he did. He wished he hadn't teased Olivia when she joined them at lunch. He wished he hadn't shown her up in Gym and made her fail that semester in Gym. He wished he hadn't tried to blow her up. He wished he hadn't teased her fear of fire. He wished he'd made her love him the way he loves her.

"So what did you want to tell me?"

"Liv look, I'm really sorry. About what I said. I don't hate you." _Come on Cary, don't chicken out._ "I don't hate you. I-I," Cary paused, struggling to get the words out. _Come on! Just say it._ "I…"

"You?" Olivia asked, looking at him worriedly.

"I… I really like you. You know, as a friend. I don't want to lose you… as a friend." Cary said, almost awkwardly. Olivia stared at him, not even hiding her disappointment. She looked a bit upset with what he said, but smiled none the less.

"Well, I really like you too." Olivia opened her arms. "Friends?"

"Friends." Cary choked out, and walked into Olivia's waiting arms, giving her the first hug he'd ever given her that she wasn't crying. They embraced for a bit, and Cary realised Olivia was the perfect height for him. He could just rest his chin atop her head, and if he leaned down only a little, and Olivia went on her tiptoes, it would be the perfect height for them to-

"Oh, and Charles wants to meet us at that field above the train wreck." Olivia said, pulling away from Cary and interrupting his fantasy. He took a step back and smiled.

"Ok, I will see you there."

* * *

><p>Cary turned to leave and Olivia watched his retreating figure all the way back to his own house. She was so glad they decided to be friends again; Olivia didn't know what she'd do without the constant teasing of him. She hated it at first, but it had become something that was comforting and she'd grown to love it.<p>

"More like him." She muttered darkly. She wished that he wasn't happy that she was with Max. She certainly wasn't, and she wanted Cary to protest. She wanted him to give her a hundred or thousand reasons why she shouldn't date Max.

But he didn't.

Because he was happy for her.

With a growl Olivia stormed to her garage and grabbed her bike, and started pedalling towards the meet up point. If she could make sense of her stupid feelings it might get easier for her to be nice to him, but the more he's nice back, the harder she falls.

"Anyway, I'm with Max now. Max."

But no matter how many times she told herself that she would be happy with Max, her heart didn't believe it.

And she didn't have anyone she could talk to about it, as she felt if she didn't get it off her chest she may explode from a billion confusing thoughts. She couldn't tell her mom for obvious reasons, the guys would just take the piss. That left two other options. Writing it down in a pathetic little journal like some girls did (that was just a book waiting to be read by the first person who got their hands on it), or Alice.

Olivia threw down her bike and walked up the hill, taking in the lovely scenery of the train wreck. Olivia was ten minutes early, so once she was at the top she flopped down onto the grass, kicked off her military boots which were making her feel hot, took off her black tights leaving her legs bare, and ripped open her back pack, proceeding to then eat 12 lollipops until Alice arrived.

"Where is everyone?" She asked as she joined Olivia on the grass, taking a strawberry lollipop for herself.

"Well I'm early," Olivia checked her watch. "And so are you."

"Oh right." Alice said. The two were quiet for some time, and Olivia didn't know how to break the silence. It wasn't as if she was going to say, _hey I just met you, and this is crazy but I don't know if I like my enemy better than my boyfriend._

"Olivia?" Alice asked, and Olivia looked up, meeting her blue eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I can trust you, can't I?" Olivia thinking this was a very odd question to ask, gave Alice a weird look.

"Course you can. But wh-"

"I like like Joe!" Alice blurted, interrupting Olivia mid-sentence. Olivia looked around wildly to see if anyone other than herself had heard Alice shout that out loud.

"You do?" Olivia said, smiling. Alice nodded, clapping her hand over her mouth. "Aw that's so cute! I promise I won't tell!" Olivia swore. Alice nodded again, removing her hand from her mouth.

"Thanks Liv. It's, just, I have-"

"No-one to talk to?" Olivia guessed, looking sadly at Alice, who nodded. "I know just how you feel."

Alice looked up. "You do?" And Olivia only nodded, not sure on what to say. She was never very good at making friends, especially girls. They confused her and were two faced. Unlike boys who were just straight to the point.

But now, she realised, she needed a girl friend.

"Well… we have each other now?" Alice said softly, almost phrasing it like a question. Olivia smiled slightly.

"I guess we do." And not even thinking about it, Olivia reached over and clasped Alice's hand in her own, giving it a comforting squeeze. Olivia looked round again, just making sure no one was around, and looked back at Alice, heaving a deep breath.

"I have a boyfriend." Alice raised her eyesbrows and smiled.

"Who? Cary?" Olivia jerked back as if her words had stung her.

"Cary? Why Cary?"

"I thought you liked him?"

"How did you know?"

"So you do?" Alice asked, smirking.

"Maybe, yes-no I don't know!" Olivia said, feeling upset and confused all over again.

Alice was quiet for a couple of seconds. "It's quite obvious you like each other. When you were hurt in the crash he was so distraught, and then when you got walking you couldn't take your eyes off him."

Olivia shook away the notion that Cary might like her too. "No, he was just worried. But do you think he knows?" She asks, biting on her bottom lip. Alice shook her head, and Olivia let out a breath of relief.

"So who is your boyfriend?"

"Max Turner." Alice gasped. "_The _Max Turner? As in the god that was sent from heaven to please the woman population just from _sight?_ Oh my days, _spill**!" **_Alice squealed happily, pulling Olivia into a hug.

Olivia went into detail about how Max had stopped her and kissed her, and was about to say that it didn't feel right because she thought she liked Cary, when Cary arrived.

Olivia stopped her speech immediately and sent Alice a warning look.

"Promise not to tell about Cary?" Olivia mouthed. Alice nodded. "Promise not to tell about Joe?" Alice mouthed, and Olivia held out her pinky finger. Alice wrapped hers round Olivia's and the two smiled happily.

"What are you two up to then?" Cary said, flopping onto the grass next to Olivia. Since she was aware of how she kinda felt, her whole body felt alive from the proximity between her and Cary. But she had to act normal.

"Not much, now budge over. You're almost sat on me!"

"Woa! Déjà vu much?" Cary exclaimed, shuffling away slightly. Cary took a lollipop from Olivia's backpack, and she and Alice dumped their sticks in the ever growing pile and got new ones.

Martin and Preston arrived with the costumes, and then Joe and Charles cycled up, carrying the camera and monster make-up.

Alice jumped up immediately and went over to talk to Joe, but caught Olivia watching. Alice blushed and Olivia gave her an encouraging smile.

"You and Alice good friends now then?" Cary asked. Olivia shrugged.

"Sort of."

"So…"

"So?"

"Isn't the weather just lovely this time of year?" Cary asked, stretching out his legs and laying down, staring at the clouds.

"Seriously?" Olivia laughed. "We're talking about the weather now?"

"Well why not?" Cary yawned, stretching his arms out.

Olivia shook her head, laughing slightly. Now that Max had gone, Olivia tied her hair up and didn't care about looking pretty. She would try, but Cary already knew her face so it wasn't like he could un-see four months of ugly.

"Olivia?"

"Mhm?" She asked, settling down on the ground beside him, looking up at the clouds. Cary turned to his side, and stared at her, resting his head on his arms.

"Why do you always hide your face?"

"Because I'm ugly." Olivia said almost immediately, automatically. Cary sat up abruptly and walked over to where Joe was, demanding to do his monster makeup. Olivia stared after him, confused. She didn't mind though, he was too close and she would be tempted to do something she later regretted.

Like kiss him.

"Come on guys! Let's start filming!" Charles shouted to everyone. "Get everything set up! Alice, Martin and Cary get into your costumes!" Olivia watched as everyone went about their business. She watched in awe as Joe made Cary look scary and dead, and vowed to make him teach her. She loved art, and was top of her class in school. It was the one lesson she actually enjoyed.

Everyone bustled about, got into their costumes and in their places.

"Alright, alright! Let's start filming right now!" Charles said, bossing everyone about. They knew Olivia was useless, so they let her lie on the grass, staring at the clouds. "Positions people, and action!"

_(Zombie walks into frame sluggishly facing away from camera)_

**_Detective Hathaway: _**_Excuse me, Sir? Were you in the wreck? (To Zombie)_

_(Zombie turns round facing Detective Hathaway. Smirks evilly)_

**_Zombie: _**_(groans)_

**_Mrs. Hathaway: _**_(Screams)_

_(Detective Hathaway shoots at Zombie. Zombie falls down dead)_

"Cut!" Charles shouted. "That was mint! Oh, my god you guys. With the train and… so good!" Charles said happily, walking over by Martin. "Joe, reload the cap gun. We'll shoot another angle next. Alice that was mint. Martin, go a little faster next time." Charles told them.

Alice was just stood staring out at the train wreck. Joe, noticing her, walked over and joined her. Olivia observed from the back and noticed they did look cute. Martin and Preston walked up either side of them, and a fuming looking Charles joined the line that was staring out at the wreckage.

"Liv?" Cary asked, holding his hand out to her. Olivia looked up at his face, and saw with frustration he was wearing an unreadable expression. Normally, he was like an open book. Olivia took his proffered hand, and let him lead her to the others. She noticed he didn't let go of her hand, and as much as Olivia wanted to carry on holding hands, she had a boyfriend.

She pulled her hand from his grasp and walked over and stood next to Charles.

"I'm still crying about the other night, man. I feel like I'm crazy." Martin said, on the verge of hysterics.

"What do you think happened?" Alice asked.

"You mean why he crashed the train?" Joe asked Alice.

"I just got a horrible feeling." Alice admitted, looking at the crash below them solemnly.

"That whole thing is an Air Force train." Joe said, peering at the wreckage at the bottom of the hill.

"What?" Alice asked, confused.

"Air force? They are the people that will kill us if we talk about it?" Olivia warned. "And they are standing below us right now, clearing the whole thing up?" She asked, and Joe nodded. Olivia bit her tongue for being such a smartass and stared at the wreckage, feeling her back flare up in pain from the memory.

"Who cares if it's an Air Force train? Let's go and re-do the scene again!" Charles shouted at everyone, snatched the camera and marched back up the hill and set it in place. No one moved though, and Olivia shuffled up, stepping closer to Preston. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder and she could feel tears pricking in her eyes again.

"I can't believe we were in that." Martin mumbled, and turned to watch Alice, Cary and Joe hike back up the hill to where no doubt a raging Charles would be sat.

Olivia didn't know what to say to comfort him, so instead she snaked her arm round Preston, and gave Martin's hand a comforting squeeze. He gave Olivia a grateful look, and then the three of them walked back up the hill to do more scenes.

* * *

><p>"Joe, about the air force trains?" Olivia asks in a hushed voice as she slides in their favourite booth. She literally knocked Charles down to get through the door, she hated it when she wasn't sat next to the window and made it her life mission to annoy them all until they let her sit there and bought her an ice cream.<p>

She slid right to the end and sat down.

But not on the red vinyl seats.

Cary's _lap._

"Ew! Move!" She squealed as she jumped up onto the table to get away from him. Cary and the others all laughed at her disgusted expression, and then Preston went bright red.

"Olivia! Your skirt has ridden up a bit!" He half yells, his blush deepening. Immediately, all eyes went to Olivia's thighs, and the dress that was only barely covering up her knickers.

"Cary. Move." Olivia snapped, ignoring Preston for the second.

"No." He laughs, leaning back in his chair.

"Fine then. I'll sit here." Olivia said, settling to get comfy on the table. Alice was smirking at Olivia, and gestured for her to lift her skirt a bit higher.

"Is this better Preston?" Olivia asks as she shows more and more leg.

"Oh my god pull it down!" Preston yells, covering his eyes. Olivia laughs and watches as all the boys go beet red- even Cary!

"What's the matter Charles?" Olivia teases. "You've just realised I'm a girl?"

"Joe? Why so embarrassed?" Alice asks, joining in on the fun. "Doesn't she look pretty? Are you trying to say she's ugly- or worse? Hideous!" Joe goes even redder and copies Preston by covering up his eyes.

"Smartin." Olivia says, and he drags his eyes from her legs.

"Yeah?" He asks, wetting his lips.

"Oh my god you should see your face!" Olivia squeals, laughing her head off and pulling down her dress so it safely covers her thighs.

"Best thing ever!" Alice giggles, giving Olivia a high five.

"Is it safe to look?" Preston asks, his hand still over his face.

"Define safe." Olivia grins. Cary didn't move, so Olivia sits on the table while the waitress comes to collect their orders. She gives Cary a disapproving look, and sighs at Olivia. She knows better than to get involved with the gang's seating arrangements.

"Olivia move!" Charles yells. "I can't see Cary." Olivia ignores him and decides to hum the batman theme song incessantly, ignoring the moans for Cary to either move so Olivia could sit in her seat or for her to shut the fuck up.

"So what were you saying earlier, about the train being an Air Force train?" Alice asked after they all made a pact to ignore Olivia's humming.

"I make models. Like, plastic ones. You know, glue them, paint them-"

"And he's not embarrassed by that." Preston cut Joe off, snorting in laughter. Olivia rolled her eyes, what was with guys and insulting each other?

"Look who's talking math camp!" Cary snickered, and earning a hurtful look from Preston.

"I liked math camp." Preston mumbled, shooting glances at Cary and pretending he was really wounded at his words.

The waitress came by with everyone's orders, and placed a plate of fries in the middle of the table.

Right in front of Olivia.

"Thanks, can I also have a coffee please? Cream on the side." Charles asked the waitress, reaching his arm to the fries resting in front of Olivia.

"He's so sophisticated." Cary said to Alice with a wink. Olivia, noticing this got slightly upset and proceeded to grab a handful of fries and stuff them in her mouth.

"Shut up, shit-head. I like coffee!" Charles snapped, shoving a chip in his mouth. Cary scoffed. "_No-one_ likes coffee." Olivia feeling bad for Charles piped up. "I do!" And daintily slipped a chip in her mouth.

"Anyway, Air Force trains, even the models have these tiny little hooks-"

Preston nodded enthusiastically, glad to know that he knows something and isn't entirely lost. "Yeah! For when the trains are loaded on the transport ships."

"Every car in that crash had hooks." Joe states, looking at everyone's faces for their reactions.

"Joe, would you just stop talking about it, all right?" Charles snapped.

"Wait, guys. Am I the only one who doesn't understand what any of this means?" Martin asked.

"Probably Smartin." Cary mocked.

"Cary, shut up!"

"No you shut up!" Cary snapped.

"I don't like it when you call me that."

"I'm sorry Smartin. Let's just go cry about it." He teased. Olivia looked down at him and flicked his head.

"No, I don't want to." Martin said in a clever way of a comeback.

"Martin, if you can't think of a good comeback…do this." Olivia said, and using Cary as a demonstrating puppet, grabbed his fries and started licking them all, one by one.

Cary stared at Olivia in horror.

"What are you doing to my fries?" He asked sadly.

"This is so no one will swipe your grub Cary!" Olivia said enthusiastically, and took pleasure in watching him glare at her. "Charles was eating them all."

"Dr. Woodward had that map. He drove onto the train tracks." Joe said, ignoring the bickering between Olivia, Martin and Cary. "Maybe, there was something he wanted to destroy…" Joe said warily.

"My God, will you guys just shut up?" Charles looked at each of them, his eyes cloudy with anger. First the fries and now this? Charles is not having a good day.

"Maybe he was just sick of being old and wanted to kill himself?" Cary asked everyone.

"That's a dumb idea." Martin muttered, looking at Olivia in apprehension.

"He had a gun. Why not use that?" Joe wondered aloud, not getting the warning glance from Martin.

"Out of bullets?" Cary mused, ignoring Martin as he kicked Cary under the table to try get him to shut up.

"There are infinitely more effective ways to commit suicide. Pills, hanging…" Preston listed them off on his fingers.

"Guys shut up!" Martin shouted. Everyone stopped and stared at Martin. He _never_ shouted.

"Hey, you fat pussy! Stop taking my fries!" Cary shouted at Charles. "Even if they are slobbered over they're still mine!"

"Ew! You ate those?" Olivia asked, laughing. The waitress walked past and Cary waved his arm to get her attention. "Excuse me." Cary asked. "Could we get another order of fries? Because my friend here is fat." The waitress nodded and turned to walk away. She was used to the weirdness of the gang.

"Funny, Chompers." Charles snapped at Cary who was laughing at his own joke. Olivia smiled a little and watched as Charles got angry and smacked him on the arm and Cary threw a fry at him.

"You could jump from a building." Preston added to the conversation before-hand.

"Or fall down some stairs." Martin added, giving Olivia a wary look.

"Well, that's not really effective."

"It isn't?" Martin asked, offended that his idea wasn't good enough.

"Can I sit in my seat now Cary?" Olivia asked.

"No." He said in amusement, and Olivia raked her brain to annoy them. She was quite good at this, and last time managed to annoy Preston for two whole weeks until he apologised and bought her a vanilla ice cream with a flake. By then, he was ready to just about kill himself.

Olivia then proceeded to sniffle incessantly every few seconds.

"If it's the Air Force, what would the Air Force have on the train?" Alice asked.

"Olivia! Shut the fuck up! Jesus, all of you just shut up about it! You heard what old man Woodward said, we can't talk about this. Ever!" He shouted, slamming his hand down on the table, causing Olivia to flinch. "Joe, seriously. Do your really wanna take a chance that something could happen to your dad too?" Charles said to Joe harshly. Joe looked down and tears welled up in his eyes. Alice looked at him sadly, and Olivia just wanted to give him a hug.

Charles looked ready to open his mouth and start another rant, but then Olivia- who had enough of it- bitch slapped him.

Everyone stared at her, shocked, and Olivia feigning nonchalance started humming the batman theme tune again, shouting out 'BATMAN' at the appropriate moments.

"I can't believe you slapped me." Charles said numbly. Olivia looked over at him for the first time, and saw that his cheek was ruby red.

"You deserved it." Olivia said huffily, crossing her arms over her chest. Charles stared at her arms for a moment, and then back up at her face.

"You are a bitch Olivia. Seriously. You're horrible to Cary, you're always in fights with people at school for no reason, you always cross the line when you tease people, you never help with the movie, and you always _always_ make things all about you. We're your best friends. And you slap me?" He said to her, watching as Olivia's eyes filled up with tears, knowing that every word he said is true. "You're mean and bitchy when you don't get your way, you make us all pay for everything, when have you ever spent anything on one of us? You lie to us about everything."

The tears filling up in Olivia's eyes slowly slid down her face as she stared at Charles.

"What do you have to say?" Charles demanded, sending another quick glance at her arms.

Another tear, and Olivia forced a smile. "I know." Was all she said. And then she walked outside the diner.

Cary raced after her, and then Charles, Joe, Preston Martin and Alice all came out too.

Charles walked up to Olivia, his face still hard. "Tell us what's going on. We're your friends."

Olivia just shook her head, tears still making tracks down her face. Charles nodded to Joe, who walked over to Olivia. He gripped her arm, and stared straight into her eyes, not breaking eye contact.

"Olivia, please. Tell us what's going on."

"Yeah, what is going on?" Alice said, pushing past the wall of boys. "I don't understand why you're all being like this? What's Olivia done?"

"Show us, Liv." Cary said, putting an arm on her shoulder. Tears continued to drip down her face, but she stared at them in confusion.

"Show you what?" She asked, honestly puzzled. Cary took Olivia's arm in his hand and Joe moved away. Olivia stared deep into Cary's beautiful blue eyes and slowly got the hem of her sleeve.

"Tell me when to stop." He whispered, only to her, so the others didn't hear. Olivia knew what he was talking about now. He was talking about the scars. It all came down to it. He must of just found out before the crash. That's why he was being so protective.

Olivia watched Cary as he edged up her sleeve further. "How did you know?" She asked fearfully.

The sleeve was all the way up to her elbow now, and slowly he flipped her arm, wrist upwards.

And then Cary did something she never thought Cary would do.

He kissed her wrist. Slight pressure on it, and it was only for a second, but it sent electric currents whizzing through her body and she shivered.

He wiped away her tears with the edge of his thumb and smiled.

"Please stop cutting. For me."


	8. Chapter 8

**This is basically a filler, sorry for the long wait guys and this might be a bit disappointing as its rubbish and so short :]**

**Schuyler xxx**

* * *

><p>Olivia froze and stared at Cary in confusion and horror. Her mouth flopped open like a fish. Cary's crystal blue eyes were full of sadness and pity as he stared down at her wrists forlornly. Olivia almost expected them to well up with hot salty tears, and drip down his face and land on one of the scars.<p>

He didn't though; he just dragged his eyes away from her arm and worked his way up to her face. His eyes flickered across her face, as if searching for something. Olivia watched him silently, and suddenly her eyes drizzled a few luke-warm streams, some of which dropped on to her bottom lip and sunk into her taste buds. She tasted salt. She glared through her watery eyes to see Cary staring at her in pity. He thought she self-harmed. He thought she deliberately mutilated herself.

And she couldn't ever refute that accusation for fear of if her mother ever found out. She was frightened of the punishment. Her mother had once warned her that if she ever told a soul the consequences would be worse than she ever had faced. And what would be worse than what she had? Death?

So instead of curling up and crying even harder and sobbing to her hearts content, she did what she did best and forced a smile. "I promise." She whispered, barely audible. Cary seemed to have heard though, as he smiled weakly, his eyes filled with pain. He held out his hand, pinky held aloft.

Even in a situation like this, Olivia couldn't help but snort in laughter. He was so childish. But she did what he asked, and linked her pinky in with his, her pale creamy skin and just his pale pasty one.

Hurriedly she wiped tears from her face, and peered round Cary at her other friends.

_They must think I'm such a freak. _She thought bitterly, and more and more tears welled up in her eyes. This was the part where Joe, Charles, Preston and Martin all started calling her names and a suicidal freak. This was the part where they all laughed at her. This was the part where they told her all the hate they felt towards her and wished she was dead. And then after that Cary would see sense and join in with the laughing.

And then Olivia would tell the truth. And then she would jump off the bridge- committing suicide so she wouldn't have to deal with her mother's final punishment. She'd get to make her own choice for once.

Olivia's heart broke, and she quietly hiccuped. Steeling herself for the rejection, she raised her eyes and met the eyes of her former friends.

They were all smiling sadly at her, except for Alice. Alice roughly shouldered Cary out of the way, and the two of them hugged it out, sobbing uncontrollably. The boys shuffled awkwardly behind them while the girls embraced, hugging onto each other for dear life. Olivia could barely breathe with relief, and her knees felt weak with happiness, her heart swelled to three- no _four _times it's normal size with delirium.

"I know things may seem bad now." Alice hiccupped, pulling back from her with a red splotchy face. "But things will get better. I promise." Olivia had never been the sentimental type and seemed a loss for words, so she shrugged and smiled weakly, pulling away from her new best friend. She took a deep shuddering breath, and was almost afraid to see the other guys. But they all had encouraging smiles on their faces.

Joe, the best and sweetest friend Olivia could ever have; came over to her and kissed Olivia on the forehead like a big brother, and hugged her. Automatically her arms went around him and Olivia had never felt happier. She almost squeezed the life out of him, and just then she had never felt less alone.

Maybe, she would be able to tell her friends the truth if they swore to secrecy, and they might still want to be her friends. Maybe. And Cary had _kissed _her wrist! Which was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Her skin still tingled with the electricity pulsing through her veins, and she felt giddy and lightheaded. Must mean he's always there for her. And the slightly scared but determined look in her friends' eyes made her confident they would help her.

_Not now. But some day…_

"Ahem!" The accusing voice clearing of a very ticked off boy made Olivia and Joe spring apart. To her disappointment it wasn't Cary. To her horror it was Max.

She smoothly, but quickly pulled down her sleeves, pretended to rub her face in tiredness to get rid of stray tears, and forced a smile on her face.

"Hi Max!" Olivia chirped happily, going over to him and linking her hand in his. He grunted in response and glared at Joe, whose eyes were wide and freaked out.

"Lay off my girl." Max practically _growled_ at Joe. If possible, his eyes got even wider, as did the others. Except Alice and Cary. Alice was sending thoughtful glances between Cary and Olivia, and Cary just looked sullen and moody, his face completely closed off.

Joe held his hands up in mock surrender, and Charles and Preston sniggered at Joe's horrified expression. "I'm-not, we're not- I am, we are just friends! She's like, my sister." He managed to splutter out, sending an alarmed look at Olivia. She shrugged, and mouthed, "What can I do about it?"

Instantly, scary Max went to be happy Max, and he smiled at them all.

"Well, isn't it nice to meet all of my _girlfriends' _friends. I'm Max, her _boyfriend._" Charles, Preston, Martin and Joe's eyebrows nearly shot up in their hairline with surprise when that was said. Olivia glared at them. Wasn't she good enough? Did they really believe she was a lesbian? Not that there is anything wrong with them or anything, but that just wasn't what she was. Cary's fists clenched and his face was unnaturally pale with red forming on his cheekbones, contrasting with his pallor. Olivia hoped it was from jealousy, but knowing her and her great success with men (Max going out with her because she was _'different'_), he would probably only be angry because Max was arrogant and cocky. And hotter than him. And he probably just didn't like him the way he liked her.

_Unfortunately for me. _Olivia thought sadly.

"What?" Max said, looking over at Olivia expectantly. She groaned in frustration.

"I'm _always _doing that!" She grumbled. Her friends all laughed, and Cary smirked, his eyes sparkling.

"Do _what?_" Max asked, looking at her in confusion. Olivia sighed. _This would have some getting used to- explaining all of her quirks to him._

"I always accidently say my thoughts aloud. It's really embarassing." She blushed.

Max raised his eyebrow cockily, and Olivia was once again distracted about how cute he was. But that was seriously the only thing he had got going. Where-as Cary had the whole package. For Olivia anyway.

"A penny for your thoughts?" He asked flirtatiously. Olivia scoffed.

"No way, I'd sell them for a dollar." He laughed, deep and throaty, booming and loud right in her ear and it took every ounce of her willpower not to flinch and jerk away from him.

"So Max… why are you here?" Olivia tried her best to sound sweet and not awkward or irritated at all. It seemed to work because he flashed his heart melting grin, which sort of faded into something between confusion and sadness.

"I have three dogs, and they're all missing." Max said in a troubling voice. "I'm just putting up lost and found flyers." He said, gesturing to the brightly coloured bits of paper in his other hand. Olivia's insides filled with dread as she watched Joe's eyes go round. She sent him a questioning look, which he sort of ignored, mouthing 'later'.

"Do you want to help me?" Max asked Olivia, is voice full of sincerity and hope. A pang shot through Olivia's chest as she shot a quick sideways glance at Cary. It was brief, but she could see the barely controlled anger simmering in his bright blue eyes. Looking back at Max and his big green eyes and heart warming smile made Olivia's heart split in two.

She was such a bitch.

Before she could answer, her new best friend swooped in and saved the day. Alice stepped up, grabbed Olivia's arm and linked it with her own, slightly pulling her away from Max. Alice faked an apologetic look, and started backing away, Olivia in tow.

"Sorry Max, she can't. We're going to…" Alice drifted off not knowing what to say. She sent a pleading look at Olivia.

"Wash my cat!" Olivia practically screamed, not wanting to leave it too long so it would seem untrue. Everyone turned to look at her with a 'WTH' expression. Max looked disappointed but nodded, seemingly reluctantly.

"Ok, see you around." As he moved forward to kiss Olivia, Alice dragged her back a few steps.

"Sorry, gotta dash. A cat is in a _great _need of a… _wash._" She said, glaring at Olivia slightly. She grinned sheepishly and the two skipped off, leaving all the guys behind.

"Wash your cat?" Alice hissed, whirling round at Olivia in disbelief once they we're out of earshot. "You don't even _own _a cat!" She exclaimed, face-palming. Olivia shrugged. "You're such a bad liar."

"I know! That was humiliating."

"You're telling me? That completely sucked. No, we're going shopping. You need more dresses." Alice said, smiling at Olivia cheerfully. Olivia shifted around uncomfortably. She absolutely _hated _shopping, she never knew what to do. She would just stand there awkwardly looking at the clothes pretending to be interested. She usually got the first thing she saw and got out of there as fast as she could.

Before her father had died, he had set up a private bank account for Olivia to access when she was 18, but she managed to forge her mom's signature to get early access. Thank god for that or she'd be walking round in garbage bags and chip packets on her feet. Plus, she got all her dad's money transferred into her account for food. The only thing her mom had to pay was the bills, which she rarely did. It was only basically the mortgage anyway. She didn't pay for hot water and they had a very limited supply of electricity- meaning only her mom could use it. Olivia often burnt herself when lighting a candle. Her mom slept around and used other peoples hot water, and worked twice a week as a babysitter. Once or twice they had the not very pleasant visits from the repo men.

Reluctantly Olivia agreed, and before she knew what was happening, Alice was practically dragging Olivia to the mall.

**_Three hours later_**

After buying half the mall, Olivia's arms were ready to drop off from the sockets. There were easily 50 bags of clothes that belonged to Olivia, and it didn't help she had to carry Alice's clothes too. Although Olivia was stick thin, she was surprisingly strong, and Alice pretended she hurt her shoulder so Olivia was left carrying _everything. _She had lots to learn from Alice about how to lie properly, so she went along with it.

The two went into the girls bathrooms and changed into their new favourite clothes. Olivia had only picked out a couple of items herself, Alice doing all the rest. It was like all the times Olivia had been shopping. Hovering and following Alice like a pack-horse, feeling totally out of her comfort zone. She just wanted to run away and hide from the pristine and perfect cashiers, the clean smelling, stain-free clothes.

Alice jumped out the stall, and Olivia gasped, grinning from ear to ear.

She was wearing a long flowery blue skirt, a cream tank top and a denim jacket. She looked beautiful, and she wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"What will Joe think of this?" Alice blushed madly and twirled round to look in the mirror, her skirt swishing round her knees. Olivia loved the skirt and had bought it too.

The sad reason being that it matched Cary's eyes almost perfectly.

_I need to get a hobby I'm that pathetic._

Olivia was dressed in a leather jacket, black tights and ripped denim shorts, a flowy black blouse and a pair of black flowery dock martens. Alice looked her over, nodding with appreciation at her work to herself thoughtfully. Olivia, suddenly feeling extremely self conscious could feel her face flame, and hurriedly covered her face with a veil of fiery red hair.

"Almost." Alice murmured, and shoving all the bags back in Olivia's arms and rushed off. Olivia had to jog to keep up as she weaved through the swarms of people, and once or twice Olivia bumped into an unsuspecting stranger carrying scolding hot coffee, making them spill it all over themselves. Olivia would hurriedly reply before chasing after Alice. She hoped no one from school was here, seeing her dressed like she was. She looked so _grungey _and like a rock star and stuff. The minute she got home, she was going to dress in her white blood stained dress and paint until the early hours, and then go for a nice refreshing walk. And donating all her new clothes.

"Where are we going?" She panted, coming to a stop behind Alice, who was looking up at a white, clean store. She looked up, and saw to her horror the words across the store door: _Madame Lacey's Salon._

By this time Olivia felt as if she had run a marathon she was so tired, but seeing this she seemed to get a new burst of energy.

"Oh look! I saw a pet store. Let's buy a cat." Olivia said hurriedly, backing away. Alice rolled her eyes in irritation.

"You need a haircut. That's all." She said, and then dragged Olivia in behind her.

"I need someone _now!_" Alice screamed when they were inside. The décor was very plain, pristine white and smelling of lavender. Olivia squirmed uncomfortably, and leaned over to whisper to Alice.

"I've never been to one of these before." She said self consciously, and Alice shot her a happy look.

"That explains this then, doesn't it." Olivia leaped back, and snatched back a strand of hair from the lady standing in front of her, who was twirling one of her strands in her fingers. She had long, luscious brown hair and moss green eyes. Not a blemish on her face, except the frown as she stared down in disdain at the two young girls in front of her.

"I expect you're both in need of a haircut?" She said, raising an eyebrow at the two of them. Alice nodded shyly. "Well, I'll do that, and give you highlights. Free of charge." The lady said, still talking to Alice.

"Free?" Olivia asked in surprise, her eyebrows going so far backwards they landed in her back pockets and she had to re-attach them. Well, not really.

"Yes, this will be a delightful challenge." And before either girl could say another word, they were being pushed into big chairs in front of large mirrors, bare light bulbs going round the circumference of the mirror like movie stars.

She washed both their hairs, and the lady applied honey highlights into Alice's hair. She didn't want to touch Olivia's hair with anything other than normal shampoo and a pair of scissors. The hairdresser didn't want to ruin such a bright vibrant colour.

Never in her whole life had she seen a girl with such pretty hair. So she was going to do the colour justice, and give it a beautiful cut.

It took an hour, but it was totally worth it. The hairdresser made the two girls pose and took a picture of them. She was going to put Olivia in her magazine of hair styles. She only took a picture of Alice so the other girl wouldn't feel bad.

She held up the mirror and Olivia gasped. In horror. In shock. In surprise. In awe. In admiration. But mostly in horror.

"Is this… is this really me?" She whispered to herself, running her fingers across the picture in front of her. This girl was too pretty to be her. Her hair was shiny and thick with volume, falling down in loose waves past her shoulder. Her hair had a long side fringe tucked behind one ear, leaving her face clear of any stray hairs. Her hair was vibrant and bright red, looking completely amazing.

The makeup artist, who had been called over, had applied a light pink to Olivia's cupid-bow mouth, and a creamy foundation to her heart shaped face. Mascara lengthened her eyelashes, making her bright brown eyes seem wider and innocent. Rosy cheeks and light grey eye shadow on her eyelids.

"Holy moly!" Alice squealed in happiness. "Cary is going to be _so jealous!_"

"Wait, what?"

"Didn't I tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Alice rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Well, you obviously don't want Max. So, we're doing everything we can to make him jealous, ok? That's what all the clothes and stuff is for. Now, you are going to go home and walk past Cary's house with swag and make him fall in love with you."

"Um..."

* * *

><p>She did what Alice said, she walked past Cary's house feeling like an idiot. She hated her plan. She wanted him to love her for <em>her. <em>Not because they made him. It all sounded superficial and fake, so she practically ran past Cary's house and up into her own house. Her mom was stood waiting for her in the lounge, and Olivia praised herself slightly for the forethought of putting all her shopping in the garbage can. She might get it later.

"Where have you been?" Her mother snapped angrily. Olivia gulped slightly, and curled her tiny hands into fists.

"I was just at a friends." She said with forced nonchalance. Her mom's eyes narrowed.

"The pasta you made was under cooked." She said nastily and threateningly. Olivia forced her tears back. She knew it was perfectly fine, her mom was just thinking of an excuse to abuse her.

"No it wasn't." Olivia said dejectedly. "But just get it over with." She said sadly. Olivia's mom looked at her in utter surprise, before twisting her face into a evil grin. Her mom walked over to the fireplace and picked up the metal poker. Olvia cringed and ducked s her mother swung it, but she caught it on her shoulder, creating pain deep inside her muscles. She fell to the floor, blood runnning from her cut.

Olivia's arms were shaking and were barely able to hold her above the floor. Her mother's foot met with her side and she fell across the planks. She wished for one day she could avoid this! Just one moment of peace for her poor body!

The woman threw herself upon Olivia, holding her shoulders and hitting her head repeatedly. Her arms flailed out, trying to protect herself, but in vain. Her mother stopped and grabbed Olivia's newly styled hair by its roots and pulled her to her feet, and she cried out in pain.

"Take off your jacket." She hissed, and Olivia hurried to comply. It was only by chance that when Olivia hit the floor, blood had seeped out of her fresh cuts.

"What is this?" Her mom screamed, grabbing her wrist and clenching it too tightly for it's current tender state.

"Stop it! You're hurting me!" Olivia screamed, wincing in pain. Her twisting summoned new blood from her fresh wounds.

"Did you do this to yourself?" she yelled at her, jerking her around as she tried to pry her hands off her.

"No! You did!"

"Why are you accusing me? Are you trying to die? Don't me and your father treat you well enough?"

"No!" she cried. "It's not that! You do it! Because I'm bad!" she sobbed.

Her mother threw her to the ground, and Olivia knew with a horrible feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach what was coming next. She struggled to get up, but her mother shrieked, striking her bleeding shoulder.

"Don't you dare get up!" Olivia fell back down and she held herself lightly, her arm throbbing in pain. Her mother always made it a rule not to strike her face. It wouldn't look dignified for her daughter to have a huge welt under her eye without an explaination- as it wouldn't be believable that a child did it.

"You're supposed to be a good- a good girl!" she yelled, emphasizing each word by pounding a fist against Olivia's frail back.

She was forced to the ground, tears falling from her eyes, but she made no sound.

"I raised you to be a good girl! Instead I get a child of the devil who can't do anything right!" She screamed, and with this she kicked Olivia hard in the stomach and she recoiled in a ball.

Olivia's mother walked away, and she felt relief in hearing her footsteps retreat.

"Jonathon, Olivia is just sleeping. Let her be, she's been a naughty girl." her mother said in a quiet murmur to no-one. Olivia tried to drown out the noise of her insane mother by concentrating on her own pain; it was terrible. She lay in the middle of the floor admist the blood and coldness until she had cried herself silently to sleep.

* * *

><p>Cary could hear yelling from next door, he tossed and turned in his bed with worry. What if Olivia went to her room and hurt herself again? What if today was teh last time he saw her? What if he would hear her jumping out of her window and seeing her crushed body in her lawn tomorrow morning?<p>

He bit his lip so hard that it bled, and he felt sick with worry.

_I should go see if she's ok._

_But what if she shuts me out?_

_What if I was wrong?_

_What if I was right?_

Thinking like that wasn't doing any wonders to his heart which was beating way too fast and erratically to be normal. His skin broke out into a sweat but he felt clammy. He had never felt more worried about her in his life.

Cary got up from his bed and walked to his other bedroom window, which looked out of the front of his house and onto the street. He saw someone walking on the sidewalk, and peered closer, recognising the limping figure.

* * *

><p>Waking up wasn't the comfort Olivia had hoped it would be. She was sore and achey and cold. Olivia pushed herself up from the wooden boards where she had spent the last couple of hours. As usual, the house was quiet, so Olivia made her way to her room silently. Once inside her own cold room she added another beating to the tally behind a scrap of loose wallpaper in the corner of her bedroom. She tore off her new clothes and crumpled them up in the corner of her room, as far away from her as possible. She didn't bother putting on her blood stained dress just yet. She simly sat down on the only wooden chair in her bedroom and let the coldness surround her. She lit the little candle stub beside the chair. The cuts across her arms were visible by the dim light of the little candle. The buises across her legs and back showed slightly in the light.<p>

Olivia didn't mind the sight of her tormented and abused body. It was her punishment, and she deserved it.

Not wanting any more time in the suffocating hellhole, she quickly changed into her white dress with red blood splatters all over it. Olivia didn't know why she still wore it, or why she even kept it. Probably becuase it was a reminder of her first ever beating, her first ever stab wound. Her first ever accaintance with death. She was on the brink of dying, her mother had stabbed her and sliced her across her hip, and she was losing _so much blood. _She thought it was the end.

And she kept the dress because it was sort of a reminder that she was still living.

When she got outside, she saw that it had been raining when she was unconsious. She didn't bother putting on shoes, and she slipped outside silently, wincing as the door shut with a slam. She walked through the centre of town, her bare feet tripping on the old, uneven cobblestones. The light of the moon was suddenly covered over by a cloud, leaving her in a dark shadow. She shivered, Olivia was freezing as a sudden icy wind blew and bit at her face. Her brown eyes suddenly matched the dirty mucky puddles on the ground. Olivia's lips felt chapped and sore, and when she licked them, she had that coppery, metallic taste lingering in her mouth. Blood.

The rain started to fall, battering hard against her head and back, soaking Olivia to the bone. It was hell to her bruises, but she didn't turn back. She let the water wash away her worries and troubles.

She forgot about her mother.

She forgot about her beating.

She forgot about the possibility her mother's insaneness.

She forgot about her dead father.

She forgot about Max.

She forgot about Cary.

She forgot about her feelings.

She forgot _everthing._


End file.
